BUFFALO, NY - The visiting Western Michigan Broncos led by 11 points with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game and by 10 points with seven minutes to go, but the University at Buffalo women's basketball team would not give up and ended the game with a 21-8 run, getting clutch free throws down the stretch to secure a 73-70 win in front of 802 fans in Alumni Arena.

Kim Kilpela

Buffalo senior Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe (Nelson, New Zealand/Hawaii) (22 points, 11 rebounds) and junior Kim Kilpela (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) (15 points, 11 rebounds) both posted double-doubles in the game, and freshman Hollie Cook (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) dished a career-high 12 assists to help the Bulls improve to 13-9 overall and 5-6 in the Mid-American Conference. The Broncos, who have now lost four of their last five league games, fell to 13-9 overall and 7-4 in the MAC. They were led by 21 points from Kristin Koetsier, who returned for her first game back after sitting out the last eight with a knee injury.

Junior Jessica Kochendorfer (Allen, MI/Quincy) opened the scoring just under two minutes in to the contest, and the Bulls led for the majority of the first half, although never by more than four points. A three-pointer by Andrea Thelen off the bench gave the Broncos their first lead of the game, 22-21, at the 7:58 mark of the first half, but the Bulls quickly got the lead back and went into the lockerroom ahead by three, 29-26, after a steal by sophomore Allison Bennett (Springfield, OH/Kenton Ridge) led to a layup by Cook with four seconds left in the half.

Western Michigan appeared to take control of the game when it began the second half with a 10-0 run to go up by seven, 36-29, with 17:58 to play. A put-back by Koetsier gave the Broncos their first double-digit lead of the game, 40-30 at the 16:56 mark, and a three-pointer by Casey Rost put them up by 11, 43-32, with 15:58 to go in the game. WMU then led by 10, 47-37, but the Bulls battled to make it a four-point game, 49-45, thanks to an 8-2 run that McMeeken-Ruscoe ended with a layup at the 12:53 mark. Koetsier then accounted for five of the Broncos' next seven points during a 7-0 run that put them back up by 11, 56-45 with 9:55 showing on the clock. WMU then led by 10, 62-52, with 7:16 to play before the Bulls mounted their final comeback.

A jumper by Bennett at the 3:51 mark ended an 11-2 Buffalo run that cut WMU's lead to one, 64-63, and a free throw by Kilpela with 1:39 on the clock tied the game at 66-66. Bennett then grabbed the rebound of a missed three-pointer by Rost and fed Kilpela for a layup that gave Buffalo the lead, 68-66, with 1:02 on the clock. The Broncos had a chance to tie it on their next possession when Koetsier was fouled, but she missed both of her free throws, and McMeeken-Ruscoe then hit two foul shots for Buffalo to put the Bulls ahead by four, 70-66, with 37 seconds to play. Koetsier hit a jumper on Western Michigan's next possession, but Bennett knocked down two free throws with 23 seconds on the clock to keep it a four-point game, 72-68, in Buffalo's favor. WMU's Curleta Harris hit a jumper with 12 seconds to play, but Bennett was once again fouled and hit one of two free throws to make the score 73-70 with nine seconds to play. Rost missed a three-point attempt on the Broncos' last possession of the game with three seconds on the clock, and Kilpela grabbed the rebound for the Bulls to secure their win.

"The key to us winning this game was limiting our turnovers in the second half, which allowed us more offensive opportunities," said Buffalo head coach Cheryl Dozier. "I also thought we distributed the basketball very well tonight and we controlled the glass, which put us in a position to win. Even when we were down in the second half, we never gave up. We kept working hard and we gutted out the win."

The Bulls scored 40 of their 73 points in the game in the paint. Kochendorfer also finished in double figures for the Bulls with 11 points. For the Broncos, Rost finished with 16 points and Lori Crisman added 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

The Bulls take to the road next for a 7 pm contest at Ohio on Tuesday, February 18. Buffalo defeated Ohio on February 1, 72-59, in the first meeting of the year between the two teams.