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Holy Toledo! Bulls knock off Rockets, are 1 win away from NCAA tournament

Buffalo (19-12) will play Kent State (20-10) in the MAC championship game, which starts at 11 a.m. Saturday.

CLEVELAND — Last March, the University at Buffalo women's basketball team saw its season end with an overtime loss against top-seeded Toledo at the Mid-American Conference tournament in Cleveland.

This year the Bulls made sure that didn't happen again Friday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Buffalo led for the bulk of 40 minutes, then managed to upset the Rockets 77-74.

No. 4 seed Buffalo (19-12) led 55-41 with 9 minutes, 13 seconds to play in regulation following a layup by Chellia Watson, who hit six 3-pointers and led all scorers with 30 points. That's when top-seeded Toledo (26-5) turned up the pressure, started to force turnovers, then quickly chipped away at the deficit.

Buffalo saw its lead drop from 14 points to three, 55-52, with 7 minutes to play in regulation.

Toledo took its first lead of the game with 1:41 left when Khera Goss hit a 3. Watson later hit a 3 with 49 seconds left to tie the score at 67, which was the score heading into overtime.

The Bulls never trailed in overtime, when Hattie Ogden hit a 3 to start the extra five minutes.

Watson added four rebounds, five assists, and five steals for the Bulls. Kirsten Lewis-Williams added 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Ogden scored 10 points.

Buffalo will play Kent State (20-10) in the MAC championship game, which starts at 11 a.m. Saturday. Kent State upset No. 2 Ball State 65-50 in the semifinals to advance.

The winner will move on to the NCAA tournament next week. Buffalo last made the NCAA tournament in 2022, when it lost in the first round to Tennessee 80-67. That was the last game for longtime Bulls coach Felisha Legette-Jack, who took the top job at Syracuse. Star guard Dyaisha Fair followed her there.

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