by BUFFALO, NY — Buffalo erased an 11-point second half deficit to claim the 2025 Postseason WNIT Title in front of 5,650 fans at Alumni Arena, a women’s basketball attendance record for the Bulls.
Buffalo (30-7) were led by Chellia Watson, who earned Tournament MVP honors with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists while playing all 40 minutes. Troy came out firing in the second quarter, connecting on 12-of-17 shots to build a double-digit lead, but Watson hit timely shots and scored 16 first-half points to keep Buffalo in striking distance.
In the second half, Lani Cornfield, and All-Tournament selection, Kirsten Lewis-Williams and Terah Harness rose to the occasion. Cornfield registered another double-double with 15 points and 11 assists, while Lewis-Williams had 18 points and Harness had 17 points with four 3-pointers. As a team, Buffalo shot 47.9 percent from the field and racked up 25 assists on 35 made baskets. Buffalo also outscored Troy 34-10 in fastbreak points.
Troy built up a 10-point halftime lead after shooting 62 percent from the field in the first half. Buffalo’s defensive intensity picked up in the second half, however, holding Troy to just 40 percent shooting over the last 20 minutes. The Trojans were led by All-Tournament honoree, Zay Dyer, who had 15 points and 17 rebounds. Seven other Troy players scored between eight and 11 points for Troy’s balanced offensive attack, which set a Postseason WNIT record for points by a team in a single tournament. With 453 points in the 2025 Postseason WNIT, Troy eclipsed Wyoming’s record of 452 points in the 2007 tournament. Wyoming set that record in six games, while Troy needed just five games to set the record.
Here are the players who were named to the 2025 Postseason WNIT All-Tournament team:
Sara Guerreiro – Cleveland State
Shannon Dowell – Illinois State
Briana Peguero – Troy
Zay Dyer – Troy
Lani Cornfield – Buffalo
Chellia Watson – Buffalo (MVP)
