Dartmouth Battles With the Bulls, But Fall Short, 75-69

Tuesday, December 18

Hanover, N.H.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

5-5

Buffalo

7-2

Buffalo

Dartmouth

Photo by: Doug Austin

Dartmouth Battles With the Bulls, But Fall Short, 75-69

12/18/2018 9:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photos by Doug Austin

Three players score in double figures as Dartmouth is narrowly edged by Buffalo

By: Mike Miezejeski

HANOVER, N.H. – Dartmouth was in the game throughout and had its chances, but eventually fell short, 75-69, against Buffalo Tuesday night at Leede Arena. It was a back-and-forth contest contest that featured eight lead changes and 10 ties. The three-game winning streak comes to an end for the Big Green, who fall to 5-5, while Buffalo gets back in the win column and improves to 7-2.

Paula Lenart posted her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Isalys Quinones led the team with 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while Anna Luce set career highs with 16 points and eight rebounds. Cy Lippold had a strong game for the Big Green with nine points, eight assists and five steals.

"My staff and I are extremely proud of our team's effort tonight," said Belle Koclanes, the Gail Koziara Boudreaux '82 and Family Head Coach of Women's Basketball. "Buffalo is an excellent program and has experience playing at a very high level, so I am proud of the way we competed and we will take a lot of lessons from the film. We saw our younger players get opportunities and they played well along with different lineups. We will lean from this, move forward and get ready for UNH." Koclanes continued.

Buffalo jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead over the first three minutes using its speed and physicality, taking advantage of a slow start by Dartmouth. That all changed when the Big Green defense picked up and Quinones and Lenart got consecutive baskets to make it a four-point game. After Cierra Dillard hit a 3-pointer for the Bulls, Dartmouth went on an 8-0 run with threes from Luce and Quinones to give the Big Green a 15-14 lead with 3:27 left in the first. Both sides traded buckets for the remainder of the quarter and Buffalo took a 24-20 lead into the second.

The second started at a much slower pace, Katie Douglas kicked things off for the Big Green at 7:37 with a three to make it a 25-23 deficit. It would remain a two-point game until Quinones nailed a couple from the line to tie things at 29 with 4:32 left in the half. Defense took over for the ensuing minutes as both teams earned their points from the line. Quinones broke into double figures with 2:53 on the clock with a jumper to give Dartmouth a brief 34-32 lead. Buffalo closed the half on a 7-1 run to take back the lead and make it a 39-35 game at halftime.

Lenart and Elle Louie both got baskets in the paint and Quinones made a free throw to tie the game at 40 over the first four minutes of the third. Despite falling behind, Dartmouth did not trail by more than five for the remainder of the third. The Big Green matched Buffalo's energy and got key buckets from Luce as the third went on. Quinones hit a long two at the end of the third to make it a one-point game heading to the fourth.

Buffalo maintained a four-point cushion until Lippold drilled her first 3-pointer with 6:23 left in the game to make it a 61-60 Bulls lead. Buffalo then went on an 8-2 run to extend its advantage to 69-62 with just over three minutes remaining. Quinones and Lippold both made baskets down the stretch, but the Bulls kept their lead and made their free throws as time expired.

The Big Green make their first road trip since the first of the month when they face Granite State rival New Hampshire Friday Morning at 11 a.m.