Basketball

Men's Ohio 62, UB 61
UB 82 Marshall 78

The Alumni Arena magic ran out on the men's basketball team as the Bulls dropped a 62-61 decision to Ohio University on Jan. 15.

Athletes of the Week

Darcel Williams netted 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the men's basketball team defeated Marshall, 82-78. The 23 points included a 7-of-8 effort from the free-throw line, including several down the stretch to secure the win. Williams also led the Bulls with 20 points in UB's 62-61 loss to Ohio. He leads the Bulls in both scoring and rebounding this season at 17.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe scored a career-high 26 points and tied her career high with eight assists in the women's basketball team's 78-66 loss to Eastern Michigan. In UB's two games last week, she averaged 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists, and shot 62.1 percent (18-for-29) from the floor. The junior co-captain is averaging 12.6 points—second on the team—and 4.6 rebounds—third on the team—this season.

As the final seconds ran down on the clock, freshman Turner Battle drove to the net for the potential game-winner and released a shot from the left side that hit the front of the rim and bounced out before being knocked out of bounds as time expired.

UB made 11 of its first 15 shots and played exceptional defense to storm out to a 23-9 lead in the first 10:11 of the game. During that span, the Bulls forced nine Ohio turnovers and held the Bobcats to four field goals on 4-of-10 shooting. However, a lay-up by Brandon Hunter, followed by back-to-back dunks by the 6-7 junior, sparked a 16-3 Bobcat run to pull Ohio to within a point at the break (26-25).

"If you're going to take the good, you have to take the bad," said Bulls' coach Reggie Witherspoon referring to UB's successful buzzer-beating shots earlier in the year. "We got two good looks at the basket. Sometimes they roll in, sometimes they don't roll in. We know in that situation, we are prepared to get a shot to win the game."

Darcel Williams led UB with 20 points and Louis Campbell added 13.

The Bulls shot 47.9 percent from the floor (23-of-48), while hitting a season-low three trifectas (3-of-13). Ohio outrebounded the Bulls, 31-22, but turned the ball over eight more times than its opponent (20-12). Sonny Johnson finished with 19 points to lead the Bobcats.

UB rebounded from the loss by posting the biggest road win in its Mid-American Conference history Saturday night with an 82-78 come-from-behind victory at Marshall before 5,025 at Cam Henderson Arena in Huntington, WV.

The Bulls got the victory the hard way, overcoming a 16-point, first-half deficit and some rough free-throw shooting down the stretch to hand the Thundering Herd just its third loss in the conference at home in the past two years.

UB got another huge performance from Williams, who netted 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Campbell not only scored 15 points, but held two-time All-MAC player Tamar Slay to just eight points—11 below his average.

The Bulls trailed 43-27 with six minutes remaining in the first half before going on an incredible 14-3 run to close the first half and open the second. Buoyed by a trio of three-point field goals by junior Davis Lawrence, UB cut the Marshall lead to 46-41 at intermission, then outscored the Thundering Herd, 16-2, to begin the second half. The Bulls eventually built up a 64-50 lead that they did not relinquish.

Women's

Toledo 56, UB 46
Eastern Michigan 78, UB 66

The Bulls battled back in the second half, but didn't have enough time to complete their comeback attempt against the visiting Toledo Rockets, who walked away with a 56-46 win on Jan. 16. UB was led by junior Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe with 13 points, all in the second half, and sophomore Jessica Kochendorfer, with 12 points.

A career-high 26 points by McMeeken-Ruscoe were spoiled by a balanced scoring attack and hot three-point shooting by the Eastern Michigan Eagles, who defeated UB, 78-66, on Saturday. The Eagles finished with five players in double figures.

McMeeken-Ruscoe, who had 17 points in the first half, opened the scoring with a three-pointer and gave the Bulls what would be their last lead of the game, 12-10, with a jumper at the 13:55 mark. The Eagles then went on a 12-2 run to go up by eight, 22-14, with 8:21 left in the half, and they took a 36-32 lead into the locker room at intermission.

Kochendorfer hit a three-pointer and followed with a layup to tie the score twice (41-41 and 43-43) early in the second half, but the Bulls could not reclaim the lead. Eastern Michigan hit seven three-pointers in the final 20 minutes of play and led by as many as 14 points on two different occasions to put the game away.

Wrestling

UB finishes 4th at New York State Collegiates

The Bulls wresting team finished with a total of 129 points, good for fourth place, at the New York State Collegiate Wrestling Championships. Only Army (129.5), Hofstra (166) and Cornell (207.5) finished ahead of UB in the field of 23 teams.

At 141 pounds, Ryan Bentley won his semifinal match over Dustin Winn of Oneonta in overtime, but was pinned by Army's Phillip Simpson in the final at 6:12. Bentley, last season's state titlist, finished second, as did four other Bulls.: Bill Jacoutot (149), Dave Guarino (165), Gary Cooper (174) and Garrett Bontempo (184).

Indoor track and field

Track teams impressive in New York City

The men's and women's indoor track-and-field squads returned to action over the weekend with impressive showings at New York City's University Centers Invitational. The women placed second in a seven-team field with 148 points, while the men were third of six teams with 152 points.

The Bulls set a pair of school records at the meet. Laura Olson improved on her school pole-vault record with a height of 10-11.75 (3.35m).

For the men, Jerimie Slick established a new school mark in the mile with his first-place finish of 4:17.53. Jenelle Callender won the 400 dash in a season's-best time of 58.32.