Kim Kilpela

AKRON, OH - The University at Buffalo women's basketball team used a 12-2 run early in the second half to get out in front of the Akron Zips, and four late free throws by sophomore Brooke Meunier (Saginaw, MI/Heritage) later sealed a 61-54 Buffalo win at the James A. Rhodes Arena this afternoon. The win improved the Bulls' record to 6-17 overall and 4-9 in the Mid-American Conference and it avenged the Bulls' 71-59 loss to the Zips (7-17 overall, 2-11 MAC) one week ago in Alumni Arena in the first meeting of the season between the two teams. Senior Kim Kilpela (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) led Buffalo with a game-high 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor.

The Bulls shot the ball well in the first half, led by Kilpela who scored 11 points, but they could not open up more than a six-point lead over the Zips. A three-pointer by Akron's Jen Arnold with 15 seconds to play in the first half sent Buffalo to the lockerroom with a slim three-point lead, 29-26.

Brooke Meunier

The Zips came out pressing in the second half and used a 6-0 run to take a 32-29 lead with just under 18 minutes to play in the game. Meunier then scored three buckets and assisted on a jumper by Kilpela to have a hand in every point during an 8-0 UB run. Two free throws and a bucket by senior Jessica Kochendorfer (Allen, MI/Quincy), off a pass from Meunier, extended the run to 12-2 and got Buffalo out to its largest lead of the game at seven points, 41-34, with 13:07 on the clock. An 8-2 Akron run, including three-pointers by Lori Krezeczowski and Arnold, got the Zips within one, 43-42, with just under 10 minutes to play, but the Bulls then pulled away again thanks to two jumpers by freshman Belinda Gibb (Denmark, Western Australia/Willetton) and two three-pointers by freshman Kelly Calderone (Freedom, PA/Ambridge) that made the score 53-46 with 6:05 remaining in the game. Akron's Jessie Crooks hit a jumper and two free throws with 1:59 to play to cut Buffalo's lead to three, 57-54, but Meunier secured the Buffalo win with four free throws in the final 22 seconds of the game.

Kilpela fell just shy of a double-double with 17 points, a game-high nine rebounds and four blocked shots, and Meunier finished with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Calderone also reached double figures in scoring with 10 points, while Kochendorfer finished with nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three blocks. The Bulls shot 44.2 percent from the floor in the game (23-for-52).

Akron was led by Crooks and Jae Conn with 14 points apiece. The Zips shot 36.4 percent (20-for-55).

"We came out today with a lot of energy and really dictated the tempo of the game on the defensive end of the floor," said Buffalo head coach Cheryl Dozier. "We got after it defensively right from the get-go, and we needed to have a strong defensive outing like that. Having three players in double figures is also a key for us. It's definitely a good road win, especially with two tough games coming up at Kent State and at Miami."

The Bulls are next at Kent State on Wednesday, February 25 at 7 pm.