BOWLING GREEN — There is just something about Buffalo that Bowling Green State University’s women’s basketball team can’t figure out.
For the 21st time in the past 25 meetings, the Bulls came out on top in the matchup as they used a 25-10 fourth quarter advantage to knock off the Falcons 70-60 in a Mid-American Conference game on Wednesday at the Stroh Center.
“I think it’s toughness. I think they’re a really tough team,” BGSU coach Fred Chmiel said. “They get after it.
“They’ve got a couple players who just put their head down and get to the rim. They’ve got a great shot maker in [Chellia] Watson, and [Kirsten] Lewis-Williams does a fantastic job around the basket, especially for her size. Just tough. They just impose their will on you, and if you let them, that’s what happens.”
BGSU fell to 7-7 overall (1-2 MAC), while Buffalo improved to 13-1 (2-1). The Bulls’ recent dominance in the series began at the start of the 2014-15 season and is a stark contrast from the Falcons’ success the previous decade when they won 20 meetings in a row.
“I think every time, they’re coming with physicality,” BGSU sophomore guard/forward Keiryn McGuff said. “They’re coming in a way they know they want to win and compete, and they’re not a team that just because they’re down — we did get off to a good start — they’re the type of team, they’re going to come back and they’re going to keep pushing. So we can’t relax and let them back into the game.”
BGSU couldn’t have gotten off to a better start after jumping out to a 13-0 lead less than three minutes into the game — McGuff’s 3-pointer and 3-point play were key during the rally — and 18-6 with 5:11 left in the first quarter. The Falcons made their first seven shots of the game, including a pair of 3-pointers.
From there, Buffalo made things significantly more challenging.
BGSU made just 13 of 51 field goals over the final 35 minutes. Although the Falcons hung on to the lead for the second and third quarters, the Bulls broke through for their first advantage with 7:37 left when Lani Cornfield’s transition layup made it 53-52.
“I thought they put their foot on the gas and we took ours off,” Chmiel said. “They got to the basket a couple times on us, especially in transition, which kind of let them back in the game.”
BGSU had a 36-33 rebounding advantage, including 17 offensive boards as the Falcons’ effort led to numerous second-chance opportunities. Buffalo, however, dominated in nearly every scoring category.
The Bulls shot 46.3 percent (25 of 54) from the floor and 94.7 percent (18 of 19) from the free-throw line. In the fourth quarter, Buffalo made 9 of 11 shots and 7 of 8 free throws.
Buffalo had a 40-24 advantage in points in the paint, a 14-4 edge in points off turnovers, and a 15-5 advantage in fast-break points.
Watson, a 5-foot-8 senior guard who ranked second in the MAC in scoring (19.4 points per game) entering the contest after leading the league last year, had a game-high 24 points on 9 of 19 shooting. McGuff, Johnea Donahue, and Paige Kohler made things challenging at times defending Watson, but she still was effective throughout most of the contest.
“I think she’s just a very versatile player. She can hit the jumper, the 3, floater,” McGuff said. “But particularly, just getting through those ball screens with her was probably the hardest part because she kept utilizing that, and that was really throwing us off.”
Amy Velasco’s 22 points led BGSU, while Kohler added 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. McGuff scored eight of her 10 points in the first quarter as the Falcons took a 22-13 lead.
Erika Porter had seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds, including seven offensive, for BGSU. Cornfield had 13 points for Buffalo and Lewis-Williams eight with team highs of six rebounds and five assists.
BGSU will look to bounce back at 1 p.m. Saturday at Miami (Ohio).
First Published January 9, 2025, 2:18 a.m.
