If the second half of basketball games only lasted 15 minutes the women's basketball team might have walked away victorious in its game against the Eastern Michigan Eagles. Unfortunately for the Bulls, the last five minutes of the game were dominated by the Eagles, punctuated by a 15-2 run in the last 4:27 of play.
Buffalo head coach Linda Hill-MacDonald led her team to Ypsilanti, Mich. for a Mid-American Conference contest against the Eagles at the Convocation Center on Wednesday evening. The Bulls (6-13, 1-6 MAC) dropped a 69-56 decision to the Eagles (11-7, 6-1 MAC) after what was a back-and-forth game for the majority of regulation.
Senior guard Patrice McKinney posted career-highs with 30 points and five blocks helping to lead Eastern Michigan to victory. Her efforts were aided by forward Sarah Vanmetre and guard Alyssa Pittman, who had 13 and 10 points respectively.
Junior guard Stephanie Bennett contributed 17 points in the losing effort for the Bulls. She went an impressive 5-9 from three-point range and until a last second heave was the only Buffalo player to even attempt a shot from three-point territory.
"(Bennett) is a good shooter, we have to try things to get her more open looks beyond the arc," Hill-MacDonald said.
Junior forward Heather Turner also turned in a double-double, ratcheting 10 points and 11 rebounds. Still, Hill-MacDonald thought the Eagles effectively separated Turner from the game plan.
"They did a good job of limiting Heather's chances inside," Hill-MacDonald said. "It was another game where we didn't get her the ball enough."
Freshman forward Courtney Brown added 14 points and sophomore forward Jamie Schiebner contributed 11 before being forced to leave due to injury in the final minutes of the second half.
Schiebner left for the locker room after apparently striking her head on a play for a loose ball. With her history of multiple concussions the injury was an immediate cause for concern and was treated by both the Buffalo staff and the Eastern Michigan trainer.
The game was a seesaw battle with the teams matching each other's efforts throughout the first half and beginning of the second. The Bulls however were forced to sit Brown after she received her fourth foul with 12 minutes remaining.
"It hurt when Courtney got her fourth foul," Hill-MacDonald said. "She had to sit on the bench for a long time. We didn't have the same chemistry without her."
Aside from fouls Buffalo also ran into trouble with turnovers. The Bulls handed the ball over 24 times compared to the Eagles' 13.
"We panic with the ball in our hands. There is a lack of confidence, like a deer in the headlights," Hill-MacDonald said.
Buffalo did make some positive inroads, shooting 44 percent for the game while Eastern Michigan could only muster 38 percent for the contest. The Bulls' coaching staff would still like to see the team take more quality shots, however.
"Sometimes we were looking for the home run play or shot, but if we had more patience maybe we would have gotten a better shot," Hill-MacDonald said.
The match-up was one that got away from the Bulls as the Eagles pulled away late in the second half and posted a final score that was not indicative of the game's high level of competition. The teams played at a feverish pace and intensity but in the end it was Eastern Michigan who appeared to want the victory more.
"We just weren't able to close the deal," Hill-MacDonald said.
Buffalo will next be in action at home in Alumni Arena on Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. tip off with the Northern Illinois Huskies.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
