by MUNCIE, IN – The University at Buffalo women’s basketball team put on a clinic, dominating Ball State on both ends of the floor, in a 97-58 victory at Worthen Arena on Wednesday night. With the win the Bulls improve to 17-7 on the year, 9-4 in league play.
The Bulls shot an efficient 62.5% from the floor, including 8-of-18 (44.4%) from beyond the arc while converting 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. Buffalo scored 37 fast break points and 56 points in the paint, both season-highs, while also scoring 28 points off of 25 Cardinals turnovers.
Summer Hemphill (Seneca Nation) recorded her ninth double-double of the season, tying a career-high with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Cierra Dillard added 20 points, six assists, two rebounds and two steals while Theresa Onwuka chipped in 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. All but one Bulls player recorded a point for UB.
After a back and forth start the Bulls used a 6-0 run, capped by a beautiful spin move and finish by Onwuka, to take a 14-10 lead at the first media timeout. The Buffalo offense continued to heat up as they then used a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to extend the lead to 26-10 and would lead 28-15 after one. Onwuka was a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor in the opening quarter. The Bulls scored 11 points off six Cardinals first quarter turnovers, while shooting 68.4% from the floor.
The Bulls offense picked up right where it left off, opening the second quarter on an 8-2 run, including two triples in three possessions by Hanna Hall, to take a 36-17 lead at the 8:08 mark. Offense slowed on both ends with neither team recording a point for a stretch of three minutes until Finess Dickson converted a driving layup to put the Bulls up 42-23 at the media timeout. Courtney Wilkins provided a spark out of the timeout, draining a three to put UB up 45-23 with 2:27 to play and the Bulls would take a 47-26 lead into the break. Buffalo shot an efficient 69% from the floor and 55.6% from beyond the arc in the first half, while the defense was able to limit the Cardinals to just 1-of-10 shooting to close the half.
The Bulls kept their foot on the gas to start the third as Hemphill converted back-to-back buckets to put UB up 51-27 and force an early Cardinals time out. Buffalo would maintain a double-digit lead at the media timeout and would use a 9-0 run to take a 67-37 lead with two minutes to play. Hemphill would find Brittany Morrison to beat the buzzer to give UB a 71-43 lead through three quarters of play.
Buffalo would put the game away in the fourth, opening the quarter on a 15-0 run and would lead by as many as 42 points as they cruised to the road victory.
