Women’s basketball endures 31 point loss amidst record breaking attendance

On Wednesday, Alumni Arena welcomed over 5,000 kindergarten through eighth grade students to watch the Bulls (2-20, 0-11 MAC) take on the Central Michigan Chippewas (14-7, 8-3). Ultimately, the Bulls would face their biggest loss of the season so far, falling 59-90 when the final buzzer went off.

The Bulls started off strong, opening the game with a five point lead early in the quarter due to a steal from redshirt freshman guard Aniya Rowe, who scored the first five points for the Bulls as well. This would set the stage for Rowe to score a game high of 25 points. As the quarter went on, the Bulls would face a series of turnovers that allowed the Chippewas to gain momentum and eventually finish the half 24-10, with the Chippewas in control. 

The second quarter would pick up where the first left off, with turnovers and inaccuracy within the paint for the Bulls. The Bulls would face continued struggles from beyond the arc, finishing the game with a 19% three point accuracy. Throughout the quarter, freshman forward Diann Jackson would contribute some explosive drives to the rim, eventually hitting her career-high of 13 points by the end of the game. The first half would end with the Bulls down by 22.

The beginning of the third quarter echoed the energy of the previous half, with the Bulls taking multiple possessions to sink a successful field goal by Jackson. Despite scoring on a few straight possessions, the closest the Bulls would come to the Chippewas for the rest of the game would come less than three minutes into the third, trailing by 17 points. 

The Bulls began the final quarter down by 30, with their fate close to sealed. In the final two minutes the Bulls would shut out the Chippewas, but would ultimately finish the game 90-51, with the Chippewas on top.  

Although it was a tough loss for the Bulls, Alumni Arena was erupting with the excited high pitched screams of 5,778 young fans who got to experience the enchanting atmosphere of women's college basketball on National Girls and Women in Sports Day. After the game, head coach Kristen Sharkey told the media “Win or lose, what mattered most today was the way our community showed up for our young women.”

Ciah Courtney is the senior sports editor and can be reached at ciah.courtney@ubspectrum.com