Sunday's Scoreboard
Kent State 61, Toledo 57
Buffalo 85, Akron 77
Purdue 79, Bowling Green 73
Bradley 79, Northern Illinois 71
Stories Courtesy of MAC Sports Information
Kent State 61, Toledo 57
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio – Playing for the third time in the past five days, Kent State grinded out a 61-57 victory at Toledo on Sunday afternoon to become the first team with two wins in Mid-American Conference play. Sophomore Nila Blackford had her second straight double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds, matching her career-high.
The Golden Flashes (2-2, 2-0 MAC) held the Rockets to 19 points below their scoring average coming into the contest and a season-worst 4-of-20 from beyond the three-point arc. The defense was especially superb during an 18-minute span in the middle of the game that helped spark a 27-9 run.
Toledo scored twice in the final minute of the first quarter to lead 19-17 through 10 minutes of action. Kent State scored the first 13 points in the second and held its host scoreless until the 3:25 mark in the period. The Rockets made just three of 12 shots in the quarter overall but scored the final six points to get within 32-27 at halftime.
The Flashes built the lead to 18 by preventing Toledo from making a field goal until just 1:48 was remaining in the third quarter, ending a stretch of 18:41 of game action in which the Rockets shot just 3-of-20 from the floor.
It remained an 18-point game with under 30 seconds left in the period when a turnover in the backcourt resulted in an open three-pointer for Toledo's Sophia Wiard. This was Wiard's only triple of the day, and she finished with a team-high 14 points on 15 field goal attempts. The sophomore tied the school record with 42 points and made seven threes during the Rockets' previous contest.
However, Toledo made its first five shots in the fourth as part of a 17-2 run to get within three points with 5:20 still to play. Nila Blackford then sparked a quick 5-0 run to give the Flashes some breathing room. After passing out of a double-team to an open shooter, Blackford got inside position for her fourth offensive rebound and easily laid it in for a 55-50 lead. She came up with a block on the defensive end and excellent ball movement led to an open three-pointer for Katie Shumate. The lead never went below three the rest of the game.
Kent State dominated the boards, 48-28. Blackford received help from frontcourt mates Lindsey Thall and Linsey Marchese, who grabbed seven and six rebounds, respectively. The Flashes allowed just two offensive rebounds and led 13-0 in second-chance scoring.
Junior Mariah Modkins provided stability at the point guard position. She logged a team-high 37 minutes and totaled 10 points, three assists and three steals while spending most of the day defending Wiard. Classmate Lindsey Thall had a career-high six assists.
The Flashes will break for finals and return to action against Duquesne in the non-conference finale at 2 p.m. on Monday, December 21.
Buffalo 85, Akron 77
Box Score
BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo women's basketball sophomore guard Dyaisha Fair recorded the program's first triple-double in nearly 20 years to lead the Bulls to an 85-77 win over Akron on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Arena.
It was the first triple double for a Buffalo player since Sonia Ortega on March 3, 2001. Fair finished the day with a game-high 28 points, 25 of them coming in the second half, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
"I know there is more in her tank," said head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. "There is a quadruple-double in her, whatever it takes.It was unfortunate that she didn't get to fully show herself against Purdue but I think she learned lessons and we are really excited about what she can do for us."
Junior forward Adebola Adeyeye recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Also scoring in double figures were Elea Gaba with 13 points and Hanna Hall added 11 points and four assists.
The two teams traded baskets early on before the Bulls used a pair of transition baskets to take a 9-5 lead at the first media timeout. Akron took their first lead of the game on a three by Lonasia Brewer but the Bulls battled back as Hall found a cutting Loren Christie for a transition layup in the final seconds to tie the game at 14 through one quarter of play.
The back and forth affair would continue to start the second quarter before Akron pulled ahead to take a 21-18 lead at the 7:18 mark. Hall drilled a kick out three from the top of the key to put UB back on top 23-21 but the Zips would rattle off a 5-0 run to take a 26-23 lead at the media timeout. Later, Akron would score on back-to-back baskets to take a 33-24 lead at the 3:05 mark. The Bulls would trim the Akron lead to six late in the quarter but Colleen Neitzel knocked down a three in the final seconds to give Akron a 38-29 lead at the break.
Akron would extend their lead to 13 in the first minute of the third quarter before Fair got fouled on a three point attempt and made them all to cap a 5-0 UB run to cut the lead to 42-34 at the 7:15 mark. Later, Fair would convert a scoop and score to cut the lead to 47-40 but Neitzel answered with a three on the other end and Akron led 50-40 at the media timeout. Akron would then extend the lead to 15 with just over three minutes to play but the Bulls offense would heat up as they closed the quarter on a 17-5 run to cut the Akron lead to 62-59 lead at the end of the third.
Akron would go up by seven early in the fourth quarter, but a 6-0 UB run capped by a Jessika Schiffer corner three off the pass from Fair, cut the lead to 70-69 at the 6:55 mark. The two teams would trade baskets before Fair cashed in on a triple from the wing to put UB up 76-75 at the 3:24 mark. Akron would regain the lead 77-76 on a Brewer layup with three minutes to play but the Bulls closed the game on a 9-0 run to seal the victory.
The Bulls outscored Akron 42-34 in the paint and also held the edge on the glass, 49-37, including 15 offensive boards which UB turned into 20 second chance points. Buffalo also turned 15 Akron turnovers into 27 fastbreak points.
"From flat to fiery," said Legette-Jack. "I didn't know who those young people were in that first half. At halftime we really got after them to show me who this team is and who they want to become and they rose to the occasion. This is a team that isn't just playing for Buffalo but they are playing for me and my words to them matter and I'm just so grateful for that. One of our parents gave me a broach to wear for the game and I really want the mothers and the families to understand that we see you and we know you miss your children and so I will wear this broach every game so that they know that when we are out there competing and playing for Buffalo, they are with us."
The Bulls will have a week off before welcoming Big 4 rival St. Bonaventure to Alumni Arena on Saturday December 19th.
Purdue 79, Bowling Green 73
Box Score
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – An early deficit proved to be a little too much for the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team to overcome Sunday afternoon (Dec. 13), as the Falcons fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, 79-73, to Purdue University. The non-conference game was held at Mackey Arena.
BGSU is now 4-1 on the young season, while the Boilermakers improve to 3-1 on the year.
The Falcons fell into an early double-digit hole, and spent the entire game trying to dig out of it. The Boilermakers took an early 12-point lead, and Purdue led by as many as 15 in the third quarter. BGSU battled all the way back to within two points on several occasions in the fourth period, but couldn't quite get over the hump.
Sophomore Elissa Brett and freshman Lexi Fleming each had 15 points apiece for BGSU, while junior Kadie Hempfling (14) and senior Angela Perry (12) rounded out the Falcons' double-digit scorers.
Purdue got a game-high 25 points, including four three-point field goals, from Brooke Moore, while Tamara Farquhar and Madison Layden scored 13 points each and Kayana Traylor added 12.
The Falcons shot 50 percent from the field in the second half, and BGSU had an advantage in points off turnovers for the fifth time in as many games this season.
Both teams made 26 field goals, and both teams connected nine times from the arc, but it took BGSU 12 more shots (including five more triple tries) to get there.
Purdue made 18 free throws to the Falcons' 12, and the Boilers had a 36-31 rebounding advantage. BGSU had 12 offensive boards to Purdue's 10 on the day.
Bradley 79, Northern Illinois 71
Box Score
PEORIA, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team led the Bradley Braves 38-30 at halftime Sunday at Renaissance Coliseum but shot under 30 percent from the field in the second half as the Braves rallied for a 79-71 win.
"Every team we play on our schedule will challenge us in different ways," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "I thought Bradley's length, especially down the stretch, was an issue and then their best player Lasha Petree kind of took over the game in the fourth quarter. We had a tough time containing her and she made some tough shots."
Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) filled up the box score with 14 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high seven assists and six steals. Junior forward Mikayla Brandon (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) set new career-highs with 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for the first double-double of her career. Riley Blackwell (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) had 11 points and five rebounds off the bench.
"We need great balance and Mikayla got off to a great start," Carlsen said about Brandon's performance Sunday. "We were able to create some separation to get her a couple of great looks from three early and that was a confidence builder for her. She was in the right place at the right time defensively and rebounding. We're better at both ends of the floor when she's on the floor, especially when she's shooting the ball like she did today."
NIU (2-3) fell behind 11-4 early but got back in the game behind back-to-back threes from Blackwell and Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) to make the score 11-10 with 3:23 remaining in the first quarter. The Braves grew their lead back up to six in the final minute before a Paulina Castro (Elgin, Ill./Harvest Christian) three at the end of the quarter got the Huskies within three at the end of the quarter, 17-14.
Brandon rode the momentum of Castro's quarter-ending triple by making two threes of her own to start the second quarter, adding a layup to cap an 11-0 run for NIU that put the Huskies ahead 22-17 with 7:34 remaining in the first half. The junior scored 11 of NIU's first 14 points in the quarter as her two free throws at the 4:29 mark gave NIU a 28-22 advantage. The Huskies were 5-of-8 from the three-point line in the second quarter with Castro's three with 2:14 to play started a quick 7-2 run that gave the visitors a 38-30 halftime lead.
NIU led by as much as 10 points early in the third quarter, but Bradley chipped away at the Huskies lead. The Braves used a 7-2 run over 3:12 to get within four, 44-40, at the 4:57 mark on a Lasha Petree free throw. The Huskies responded with five straight points as Poisson's third three-pointer of the day put NIU up by nine, 49-40, with 4:12 remaining in the quarter.
Bradley (3-2) trailed 56-51 at the start of the fourth, but quickly made it a two-point game on a Nyjah White layup and Gabi Haack foul shot. NIU answered each Braves basket as a Blackwell jumper put the Huskies up three, 64-61, with 6:27 to go after a pair of Tatum Koenig free throws had made it a one-point NIU lead. The Braves took back the lead with 5:07 to go when a Petree three and White jumper put Bradley ahead 66-64. The Huskies responded in kind with a Grace Hunter (Monroeville, Ind./Bellmont) free throw and Brandon layup to take the lead right back, 67-66, with 4:01 to go.
That lead did not last long as Petree made another three-pointer to start an 8-0 Bradley run that gave the Braves a 74-67 lead with under 2:00 to go in the game. The Huskies made it 74-71 with 1:01 to go and had a chance to tie the game with 0:36 to go but Petree stole an inbounds pass and went end-to-end for a layup and three-point play that made the score 77-71. The Huskies were just 5-for-18 from the field in the final quarter and 1-for-9 from the three-point line.
Petree led all scorers with 30 points as White had a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
NIU is back home to take on Ohio on Wednesday, December 16. Game time is set for 6 p.m. against the Bobcats.
