BUFFALO, NY - The Bulls battled back in the second half but didn't have enough time to complete their comeback attempt against the visiting Toledo Rockets, who walked away with a 56-46 win in Mid-American Conference women's basketball action in Alumni Arena. The Rockets (8-7, 4-1 MAC) shot 40.7 percent (22-for-54) from the floor in the game and had three players finish in double figures in scoring, led by Tia Davis and Courtney Risinger with 14 apiece. The Bulls (7-9, 2-3 MAC) were led by junior Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe (Nelson, New Zealand/University of Hawaii) with 13 points - all in the second half - and sophomore Jessica Kochendorfer (Allen, MI/Quincy) with 12 points.

Buffalo shot just 25 percent from the floor in the first half (6-for-24) and was held scoreless for the final seven minutes of play after a three-pointer by freshman Erin Lawrenson (Elkland, PA/Elkland Area) made the score 19-14 in favor of the Rockets. Toledo shot 41.4 percent from the floor in the first half (12-for-29), led by 11 points from Risinger, who hit 3-of-5 three-pointers in the first 20 minutes and 4-of-7 in the game. The Rockets closed the half with an 8-0 run to take a 27-14 lead into the lockerroom at halftime.

Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe

McMeeken-Ruscoe scored the Bulls' first nine points in the second half, but the Rockets kept answering back and increased their lead to a game high of 19 points, 46-27, with 9:54 showing on the clock. The Bulls then embarked on a 17-5 run over the next eight minutes and 51 seconds during which they shot 7-of-12 from the floor, including one three-pointer by Lawrenson, and 2-for-3 from the free throw line. A jumper by freshman Allison Bennett (Springfield, OH/Kenton Ridge) ended the run with 1:03 left on the clock and the Rockets ahead by seven, 51-44. Buffalo was then forced to send Toledo to the foul line, and the Rockets hit five of their final six foul shots in the last minute of play to secure the win.

"I was very disappointed with our effort in the first half tonight," said head coach Cheryl Dozier. "But the one positive I can take out of the game is the fact that we didn't stop playing, we didn't quit. We just have to learn how to play for 40 minutes the way we played in that nine-minute span in the second half. And it doesn't get any easier for us with Eastern Michigan coming here on Saturday. They are a very good team."

The Bulls finished the game 19-for-50 from the floor (38.0 percent), and they outrebounded the Rockets by a 35-30 margin. Sophomore Kim Kilpela (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) had a game-high 13 boards, and Kochendorfer grabbed eight rebounds for the Bulls. Buffalo played the game without starting point guard Virginia Jennings (Nashville, MI/Hastings) who was out with a sprained ankle, suffered earlier in the week. Teresa Kahle also finished in double figures in scoring for the Rockets with 10 points.

Buffalo next hosts Eastern Michigan on Saturday, January 19 at 7 pm in Alumni Arena before taking to the road for a contest at Northern Illinois next Wednesday, January 23 at 8:05 pm EST.