UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO ATHLETICS
LAS VEGAS, N.V. — Cierra Dillard scored a season-high 33 points to help lead the University at Buffalo women’s basketball team to a 73-64 win over Georgetown at the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas on Friday. It was Dillard’s second straight 30-point game as the senior guard had 32 points at Oregon on Sunday.
The Bulls never trailed the Hoyas as they came out of the gates knocking down their shots. Buffalo’s first nine points came via the three-pointer as Courtney Wilkins, Theresa Onwuka and Dillard each knocked down a triple to open the Bulls’ scoring. An Autumn Jones jumper gave the Bulls a 19-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Bulls built their lead to as many as 11 points in the second quarter and a three-pointer by Wilkins, just before the halftime horn, gave UB a 38-28 lead at the break.
Onwuka sparked the Bulls in the third quarter by scoring five of her 11 points early in the second half to help grow Buffalo’s lead to 14 points in the third frame.
Wilkins drained her third three-pointer of the game to put the Bulls ahead, 60-46, with 7:12 left in the game. The Hoyas made it interesting by cutting the UB lead to 64-60 with 3:33 left. However, a Dillard jumper followed by a Jones steal and a pair of Dillard free throws quickly stretched the Buffalo lead back to 68-60 with 2:56 left. The Hoyas would get no closer than six points the rest of the way.
Dillard had an excellent overall game to help lead the way. Along with her 33 points, she added six rebounds, eight assists and five steals. Wilkins and Onwuka also reached double figures in the scoring column with 11 points apiece.
Buffalo improved to 3-1 on the season and will next play South Dakota State on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
