BUFFALO, NY - Senior Tiffany Bell (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield) scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the University at Buffalo women's basketball team to a 79-69 win over visiting Ball State in Alumni Arena. The Cardinals entered the game ranked 33rd in the nation after receiving 21 votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll released earlier this week. The win was the Bulls' third in a row and improves their record to 16-6 overall and 7-4 in the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls are only the second conference team to defeat BSU (17-6, 9-3 MAC) this season, as Toledo handed the Cardinals their other two league losses prior to this afternoon's game.

The Bulls began the game on a tear, opening up a 21-2 lead in the first seven minutes and 32 seconds of the first half. Buffalo led by as many as 21 points on three separate occasions in the half, with the last time coming with 7:12 remaining, 33-12. The Cardinals, however, strung together a 17-6 run, aided by three-pointers from Amy Zercher, Shala Crook and Jessica Reiter, to finish the half down by just 10, 39-29. Ball State kept some momentum to begin the second half and cut Buffalo's lead to six, 54-48 with just under eight minutes showing on the clock, but a three-pointer by senior Tara Perrier (Aurora, Ontario/Aurora) started a 9-2 Buffalo run in response and the Cardinals never threatened after that.

"I challenged our team to step up today," said UB head coach Cheryl Dozier. "I think the momentum from Wednesday's game (an 85-56 win over Western Michigan) definitely carried over to today. Our guards did a great job of getting the ball inside to Tiffany, and getting production off the bench from Tara like we did helps a lot. She really played a solid game for us today."

Perrier finished with 13 points and five rebounds, and seniors Mari McClure (Rochester Hills, MI/Rochester Adams) and Sonia Ortega (Chihuahua, Mexico/Cobach) also finished in double digits in scoring with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Ortega also added seven assists and four steals, and freshman Jessica Kochendorfer (Allen, MI/Quincy) finished with nine points and eight rebounds on the afternoon. Ball State's Johna Goff scored a team-high 21 points and Reiter posted a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Tamara Bowie, who got into foul trouble early in the game, finished with just 12 points and two rebounds in 15 minutes of action.

The Bulls are now on the road for their next two games, at division rivals Kent Sate on Wednesday, February 14 at 7 pm and at Akron on Saturday, February 17 at 1 pm.