Buffalo falls to Ball State 88-55

By Christopher Drummond

Buffalo Bulls guard #13 Ella Corry is shooting a free throw in the second half against the Ball State Cardinals on Tuesday evening

BUFFALO, N.Y.--The skid continues for the Buffalo Bulls women's basketball.

Buffalo dropped its 17th straight game Tuesday night, falling 88–55 to the conference-leading Ball State Cardinals women's basketball in Mid-American Conference action. With the loss, the Bulls were mathematically eliminated from contention for the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

Despite the lopsided final score, the night carried significance beyond the standings. The University celebrated Pride Night, featuring an inspirational video from Kristen Sharkey about coming out and embracing authenticity — a message that echoed through a challenging season.

On the court, however, Ball State showed why it sits atop the MAC standings. The Cardinals completed a season sweep of Buffalo, winning the two meetings by an average margin of 37.5 points.

The Bulls kept pace early, battling to an 8–8 tie midway through the first quarter. But Ball State responded with a decisive 12–3 run and never relinquished control, steadily widening the gap behind efficient offense and disciplined execution.

Turnovers once again plagued Buffalo. The Bulls committed 22 giveaways — many unforced — and finished with more turnovers than made field goals (18). The miscues fueled transition opportunities for a Cardinals squad that capitalized throughout the night.

Still, there were bright spots.

Aniya Rowe led Buffalo with 18 points and dished out a team-high six assists. Freshman guard Ella Corry added 16 points, showing fearlessness attacking the paint, though she also committed six turnovers. Meg Lucas controlled the glass with a game-high 12 rebounds.

Head coach Kristen Sharkey praised her team’s defensive effort and resilience despite the outcome.

“I really like the fight in our team, and they executed the defensive game plan,” Sharkey said. “Ball State is just a well-oiled machine. They’ve got that team playing well and they don’t skip a beat. I still love our fight, especially Corry tonight. She came out ready to play, wasn’t scared.”

Sharkey acknowledged that ball security remains the team’s biggest hurdle.

“That’s a common theme for our team right now,” she said. “We gave the ball away. I’m not going to credit Ball State for all 22 turnovers. We probably gave 15 of them ourselves. It’s something we have to clean up. If we have 22 turnovers in a game, we’re not going to win basketball games.”

The losing streak has tested the group, but Sharkey emphasized growth, accountability and mental health as pillars moving forward.

“This team continues to fight,” she said. “We have some deficiencies right now, and we have to get better. No one is giving up. We have five games left — all winnable games. It’s going to take work.”

She also underscored the importance of perspective.

“Pressure is a privilege. It’s okay not to be okay. It’s okay to say, ‘I need help.’ We have great resources here. We want our players to speak up so we can support them.”

Buffalo will look to snap the streak Saturday afternoon when it travels to face the Eastern Michigan Eagles women's basketball. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., as the Bulls aim to turn resilience into results.