KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan women's basketball team capitalized on a home win over the University at Buffalo on Saturday, Jan. 21, 68-56.
 
Western Michigan's victory came as a collective effort with six Broncos scoring points in the matchup. Leading the scorers on the night was the redshirt duo, sophomore Lauren Ross and junior Taylor Williams. Ross and Williams registered 20 points. Following just behind, Hannah Spitzley scored 10 points on 5-9 shooting, while Maddie Watters, Alli Carlson, and Gabi Saxman contributed 18 points collectively.  
 
Ross and Williams continued to be a deadly duo for the Bulls to handle, scoring 20 points each. Ross shot 7-of-12 from the field, 3-of-7 from beyond the arch, and 3-of-4. She added seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Williams reached another double-double on the season, pulling down 16 boards and dishing out two assists. Williams became the first WMU player since the 2016-17 season to earn 20+ points and 15+ rebounds twice in a single season. Spitzley joined the scoring with 10 points, tallying six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Maddie Watters added nine points, Alli Carson registered five, and Gabi Saxman for 4 points.  
 
In its 30th matchup in series history, WMU came out strong with a won tip-off by Williams followed by an opening layup from Saxman. Ross would take over the scoring for a portion of the first with a pair of layups and a made three-point jumper. Ross registered eight points, Williams five, and Saxman and Carlson each with two. Western Michigan tallied 1o points in the paint and two bench points to warm up the first, 18-7. 
 
The Bulls and Broncos traded baskets throughout the second. Williams capitalized on a layup drawn off an opponent turnover with 5:47 to play and started a string of back-to-back buckets by both teams. WMU held the lead throughout the second as Ross added 10, Williams four, Watters three, and Spitzley two. Buffalo managed to hold WMU scoreless for the last 1:33 of play in the first half, going on a 6-0 run at 36-29 for WMU. WMU shot 42.8 percent to end the first from the field, while Buffalo shot 37.7 percent from the field and 75 percent from the line.  
 
To start the third quarter, Buffalo came out strong with points from Re'shawna Stone and Latrice Perkins. Stone scored a total of 10 points in the third and tied the game for the Bulls with a layup four minutes into play.  However, the tie did not last long, with 5:09 to play Watters put WMU up by three with a made corner shot.  WMU ended the third quarter with a 50-49 lead.
 
The Broncos closed out the final stretch with a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter. Williams, Watters, Spitzley, and Carlson all combined for a total of 17 points to close out the game, 68-56. The Broncos outshot the Bulls going 27-of-62 (44 percent) from the field, 7-of-25 from deep (28 percent), and 7-0f-14 (50 percent) from the free throw line.  WMU pulled down 43 boards, adding 18 assists and nine steals. The Bulls shot 20-of-53 (38 percent) from the field, 1-10 (10 percent) from deep, and 15-of-20 (75 percent) from the charity stripe.  The Bulls averaged 31 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks, and eight steals. Each forcing 13 turnovers, the Broncos, and Bulls debuted a close matchup.
 
WMU's win streak extends to four as they move to 9-8 overall and a 4-2 in the Mid-American Conference.  They sit fifth in the MAC behind Bowling Green, Ball State, Akron and Toledo.  
The Broncos are staying in Kalamazoo to play their next conference matchup against Eastern Michigan University at University Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. To purchase tickets to any Western Michigan women's basketball home game this season, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets or call 1-888-4-WMUTIX.