DEKALB, IL - The University at Buffalo women's basketball team ended a stretch of five games in 10 days with a 66-47 loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies tonight in front of 1,435 fans in the Convocation Center in DeKalb, IL. The Huskies (9-9, 4-3 Mid-American Conference) scored 32 points in the paint and held the Bulls to just a 31.5 shooting percentage for the game (17-for-54), 28.0 percent in the first half (7-for-25). The loss drops the Bulls' record to 4-12 overall and 2-4 in the MAC.

NIU freshman Stephanie Raymond scored six of the Huskies' first eight points in the game, and they quickly jumped out to a 14-7 lead with 12:25 to play in the opening half.

Belinda Gibb

The Bulls then put together an 8-2 run, with a 10-foot jumper by senior Jessica Kochendorfer (Allen, MI/Quincy) getting them within one, 16-15, with 6:25 to play. Northern Illinois, however, embarked on a 14-0 run, which included back-to-back three-pointers by Stephanie Smith and Monique Davis, holding the Bulls scoreless for the final six minutes and 25 seconds of the half. The run sent NIU to the lockerroom with a 15-point halftime lead, 30-15.

A three-pointer by sophomore Brooke Meunier (Saginaw, MI/Heritage) on the Bulls' first possession of the second half ended their scoring drought, and a 7-2 UB run in the first two minutes of the half cut the Huskies' lead to 10, 32-22. The Bulls got within eight, 53-45, with just over three minutes to play following two free throws by freshman Belinda Gibb (Denmark, Western Australia/Willetton), but Northern Illinois ended the game with a 13-2 run to seal the victory. A jumper by Meunier with 32 seconds left on the clock was the only bucket the Bulls scored in the final three minutes of play.

Kochendorfer led the Bulls with a game-high 14 points, while Gibb finished with a career-best 12 points, four rebounds and three assists. Senior Kim Kilpela (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) added 10 points and a team-high five rebounds. The Bulls were outrebounded by a 39-26 margin.

The Huskies got double-double performances from both Joi Scott (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Jennifer Youngblood (12 points, 11 rebounds), while Raymond added 12 points and four boards. The Huskies shot 45.1 percent from the floor in the game (23-for-51), including 52.6 percent in the second half (10-for-19), and they hit 16-of-17 free throw shots.

"When we got into foul trouble in the first half, we went to a zone and they hit two quick threes and really broke things open with that 14-0 run," said Buffalo head coach Cheryl Dozier. "They have two great kids inside in Jennifer Youngblood and Joi Scott, and we knew they were going to go at us, so I credit them with forcing us into foul trouble. We are in a bit of a predicament with only eight players, but we need to battle through that. The good thing is that a lot of our younger kids are getting great minutes and really contributing."

The Bulls are next at Bowling Green on Saturday, January 31 for a 1 pm contest with the Falcons.