UB Bulls rally to reach WNIT round of 16
AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) — The last of Western New York's college basketball teams still playing extended its postseason run with a captivating comeback.
University at Buffalo's women surged from down 14 entering the fourth quarterback and clamped down on defense in the closing minutes of overtime to pull out an 84-82 victory against UMass on Sunday at Alumni Arena.
The win advanced the Bulls into the Super 16 round of the WNIT.
Chellia Watson scored 26 points, 13 coming in the fourth quarter, and surpassed 2,000 points in her career. Jordyn Beaty scored 14, while Lani Cornfield, Kirtsten Lewis-Williams and Ariana Seawell each had 12. Cornfield, a Cattaraugus Reservation native, dished out a personal-best 15 assists, going over 500 in her career.
Watson ranks among the top 20 in the country in scoring, and Cornfield is top 20 in assists.
This was UB's fifth win this season in which they came back from down 10 or more points in the fourth quarter. The Bulls improved to 6-5 when trailing with 10 minutes left in regulation.
Improving to 26-7 this season, UB's victory total is the second-highest in program history after the 2018 team that finished 29-6 with a trip to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.