Women’s basketball (16-8, 10-4 MAC) lost to the Northern Illinois Huskies (10-12, 7-7 MAC), 69-64 in overtime, Saturday afternoon at the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb, IL.
The loss marked a painful end to UB’s five-game win streak, dropping their record to 16-8 and 10-4 MAC, though the Bulls remain in second place in the conference.
The game’s start and finish saw the Bulls’ slow pace cost them crucial points. UB trailed 12-2 by the first media timeout, and overtime saw UB trailing 64-60 in the final 45 seconds of play — securing nine baskets compared to NIU’s 14.
Despite a hard-fought battle by the Bulls, the Huskies were the better team for the entire match.
Defensively debilitated, the Bulls came onto the court averaging 9.7 steals per game, but left with a season-low four swipes. The Huskies shot 38.2% from the field and 25.9% from three-point range.
Saturday’s contest saw junior guard Dyaisha Fair dominate from the field, as she scored 27 points and gave UB its only lead of the game when she went 1-of-2 at the line with 3:02 left on the clock.
Freshman guard Georgia Woolley scored 15 points, making it the 18th time she’s scored double digits in the last 19 games. And redshirt fifth-year forward Summer Hemphill landed her ninth double-double of the season with 12 points and a season-high 18 rebounds.
The Bulls saw senior forward Adebola Adeyeye hit the court again for the first time since her Jan. 24 injury.
Overall, UB scored 11 fastbreak points and 24 points in the paint, to go along with 54 rebounds.
The Bulls will return to action against the Ball State Cardinals (14-7, 7-4) for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off at Alumni Arena this Wednesday.
Sophie McNally is an assistant sports editor and can be reached at sophie.mcnally@ubspectrum.com
Sophie McNally is an assistant sports editor at The Spectrum. She is a history major studying abroad for a year from Newcastle University in the UK. In her spare time, she can be found blasting The 1975 or Taylor Swift and rowing on a random river at 5 a.m.
