Jessica Kochendorfer

KALAMAZOO, MI - The University at Buffalo women's basketball team got 20 points from sophomore Jessica Kochendorfer (Allen, MI/Quincy), but the Western Michigan Broncos shot 50.8 percent from the floor (30-for-59) and a perfect 17-for-17 from the free throw line to run away with an 83-53 win in front of 754 fans at University Arena in Kalamazoo. The loss drops the Bulls' record to 9-13 overall and 4-7 in the Mid-American Conference while the Broncos even their record at 11-11 overall and improve to 8-2 in the MAC.

The Broncos jumped out to a 17-point lead with 8:55 to go in the first half before the Bulls mounted a comeback with an 11-0 run, and Buffalo trailed by just six at halftime, 35-29. The Bulls got within four, 35-31, with a bucket to open the half, but the Broncos never lost control of the game and gradually increased their lead en route to the 30-point victory. Western Michigan shot 58.1 percent from the floor (18-for-31) in the final 20 minutes of play to outscore the Bulls by a 48-24 margin. The Broncos had four players finish in double figures in scoring, and they outrebounded the Bulls by a 36-28 margin in the game. Buffalo shot 40.4 percent (23-for-57) in the game.

Allison Bennett

Kochendorfer led the Bulls in scoring while also grabbing seven rebounds despite being in foul trouble for much of the game. Freshman Allison Bennett (Springfield, OH/Kenton Ridge) was the only other player to reach double figures with a career-high 14 points while also grabbing five rebounds. Junior Rachel Martin (Kenmore, NY/Kenmore West) added eight points and seven rebounds, starting in place of the injured Kim Kilpela (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield), and junior Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe (Nelson, New Zealand/University of Hawaii) added nine points to the Bulls' effort.

"They really took the lead off of our turnovers (23), and we can't have that many on the road," said head coach Cheryl Dozier. "We were depleted with two starters injured and we didn't get enough from our bench tonight. We're a young team, but we can't use that as an excuse. We just have to turn our focus now to Ball State."

The Bulls, looking to snap a three-game losing streak, travel to Muncie, IN to face the Cardinals at 3:30 pm on Saturday, February 9.