UB women’s basketball (0-2, 0-0 MAC) matched up with the Kentucky Wild Cats (3-0, 0-0 SEC) on Sunday afternoon in UB’s home opener. The Bulls looked to add their first win of the season to their resume by beating the 24th ranked team in the nation. The Bulls were unable to do so, and lost 81-47.
The Wildcats were able to build a significant lead in just the first quarter alone, ending with a 19-8 advantage. The Bulls put up the same amount of shots as Kentucky, 17, but they were unable to capitalize on them at nearly the same efficiency. Throughout the game, Kentucky would continue to find ways to score, while the Bulls couldn’t keep up.
The second quarter was more of the same. The Wildcats were able to convert 50 percent of their shot attempts, while playing smothering defense on the other end of the floor. They held Buffalo to a dismal 27 percent. Through this stellar play, Kentucky had widened the gap to 20 points, with a score of 37-17 at the halftime break.
Coming out of the break, the Bulls were able to find a sense of rhythm, matching Kentucky’s offense. Throughout the contest, the amount of fouls being drawn was very lopsided. The Wildcats had drawn 10 foul shot attempts, while Buffalo had only shot two. In the third, Buffalo was able to attempt eight free throws, converting on seven of them. Buffalo was able to score 15 points, while only making four field goals. This elevation of their scoring allowed them to only allow the deficit to increase by one during the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was where any chance of a comeback for the Bulls was put to rest. The Wildcats went on a scoring tear during the final 10 minutes, putting up 28 points. The Bulls replicated the 15 points that they scored in the third, but they just weren’t able to keep up with the high powered offense for Kentucky. The game ended with a final score of 81-47.
The Bulls showed fight throughout the game, but they simply weren’t able to keep up with Kentucky’s scoring at any point in the game. Buffalo had no answers for Kentucky junior center Clara Strack — a Hamburg, a suburb outside of Buffalo, native — in particular. She contributed significantly to Kentucky’s advantage around the basket on both sides of the court, evident in the huge 44-22 discrepancy in points in the paint.
The Bulls look to bounce back and tally their first win this Wednesday when they travel to take on Vermont (2-0, 0-0 AM East) at 4:00 p.m. The game is available on ESPN+.
Drew Heckman is an assistant sports editor and can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
