Women's Basketball Heads To The Sunshine State For The UCF Thanksgiving Tournament
11/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York women's basketball team (4-0, 0-0 MAC) travels to sunny Florida for the Central Florida Thanksgiving Tournament this weekend. The Bulls will take on the host UCF Knights on Saturday at 2:30 pm and the Clemson Tigers on Sunday at 12:00 pm at the CFE Arena.
BULLS IMPROVE TO 4-0 FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2000-01
The Bulls returned home on Wednesday and continued their hot start to the seasson as they collected the 59-41 victory over Cornell. The Bulls were led offensively by Joanna Smith who notched 17 points while Katherine Ups has her best game of the year, scoring 10 points and grabbing a career-high nine boards. The UB defense continued to lead the team as they allowed the Big Red to shoot just 3-for-21 in the second half and forced 16 turnovers. With the win, the Bulls improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2000-01 when they started off the season 8-0.
BULLS LEAD THE NATION IN SCORING DEFENSE
There is no hiding the fact that the UB's women's basketball team will be relying heavily on their defense and four games into the season, the defense has responded admirably. Buffalo currently ranks 1st in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 41.8 points per game. The Bulls held LIU Brooklyn to just 38 points, their lowest points against since Feb 23, 2013, and 31.0% shooting from the field including 0-for-14 from beyond the arc in their season opener. The stingy Bulls defense has not allowed an opponent to score over 48 points this season while also forcing at least 16 turnovers in all three games. The UB defense is holding their opponents to 31.4% from the floor and 17.4% from behind the arc on the season.
SMITH PICKS UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF
Junior guard Joanna Smith seemed to pick up where she left off at the end of last season as the junior has led the Bulls in scoring in three of their first four games. Smith is averaging a team-best 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest so far this season. Last time out, Smith started off the game slow but still paced the Bulls in scoring, notching 17 points while also grabbing seven rebounds. The guard currently leads the Bulls in scoring and rebounding. She has scored in double figures in seven of her last 10 games for UB.
REID ALL ABOUT IT
Taking over the starting point guard position last season, Stephanie Reid grew into her role as floor general throughout the season and finished off an impressive freshman season. Through four games this season, Reid has continued to prosper into one of the best point guards in the conference as she is averaging 9.0 points, 5.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 steals per game. Last time out, Reid continued her all around steady point guard play as she finished the win against Cornell with eight points, five assists and four steals. Reid has notched at least five assists in all four UB wins this season.
BENCH PLAY CONTINUES TO IMPROVE
The Bulls have proved through the exhibition season and four games into the regular season that they are a much deeper team this season as 11 players have saw action so far this season. Leading the bench production was sophomore center Mariah Suchan who is having a career season for the Bulls as she is averaging 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Last time out Suchan grabbed a career-high nine boards. Freshman guard Gabi Bade has continued to grow into her role off the bench as she has recorded at least one three pointer in all four games. Senior captain Karin Moss has brought loads of energy on the court and she had her best game of the season last time out as she recorded a season-high five steals to go along with eight points, four rebounds and three assists.
FAMILIAR FACES
The Bulls have had the same starting lineup for all four games this season and there is no reason to believe that productive lineup will change this weekend. The starting lineup of Stephanie Reid, Liisa Ups, Joanna Smith, Katherine Ups and Mirte Scheper have combined to score at least 36 points in each of their four games this season. Last season through four games the Bulls had three different starting lineups.
SHOOTING FOR THE STARS
One of the keys to every game is shooting a high percentage from the floor and the Bulls have proved that winning the field goal percentage battle will win you games. The Bulls have shot a higher percentage from the floor than their opponents in all four games, leading to four wins. UB is shooting 37.0% from the floor while holding their opponents to 31.4%.
NEW FACES
The Bulls have six new players on the squad this season. Gabi Bade is a 5-8 freshman guard from Milpitas, CA. Tamara Brcina is a 6-2 freshman forward from Bosnia & Herzegovina. Ayoleka Sodade is a freshman guard from Windsor, Ontario. Mirte Scheper is a 6-4 forward from the Netherlands. Brittany Morrison is a 5-9 guard from North Ridgeville, OH. In addition, Cassie Oursler, a 6-3 center has transferred from Robert Morris and will be eligible for the second semester.
LOOKING TO GET BACK TO THE POSTSEASON
The UB women's basketball team is coming off a 19-win season and its first ever trip to the WNIT. The Bulls have steadily improved over their three seasons under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. UB went 12-20 in 2012-13; 17-13 in 2014-15 and 19-13 last season.
JACK'S CAPTAINS
Serving as team captains this season are senior Karin Moss and sophomore Liisa Ups. Moss, the Bulls lone senior, exudes leadership and energy - two of Coach Jack's favorite qualities. She has started 17 games over her career and has averaged 3.5 points and 1.5 assists per game. She had 45 steals last season. Ups appeared in 29 games last season and proved to be one of the best three-point threats, knocking down 5-of-8 attempts.
CONTRIBUTING COACHES
Three assistants join head coach Felisha Legette-Jack on the UB bench for 2014-15. Former UB floor general Ashley Zuber returns for her third season with the Bulls, while Cherie Cordoba enters her second at UB. Cordoba has served as a long-time member of Legette-Jack's staffs having spent two seasons as an assistant to Legette-Jack at both Indiana University and Hofstra University. New to the staff this season a familiar face to Bulls fans. Kristen Sharkey was a two-time All-MAC player and a 1,000-point scorer for the Bulls.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Not only does the UB roster sport identical twins from the land down under, in Liisa and Katherine Ups, but the Bulls have another twin on the roster. Junior guard Karin Moss also has fraternal twin sister.
AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE (Oi, Oi, Oi)
G'day to four UB players that hail from the land down under. Liisa and Katherine Ups are from Wollongong, NSW, Australia. Stephanie Reid hails from Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Courtney Wilkins is also from Melbourne. Assistant coach Cherie Cordoba, an Australian, recruited the players to Western New York.
GLO-BULLS
The 2015-16 UB women's basketball team will have an international flavor to it this season as seven of its members hail from outside the United States. Liisa and Katherine Ups (Wollongong), Stephanie Reid (Melbourne) and Courtney Wilkins (Melbourne) come from Australia. Tamara Brcina (Tuzla) hails from Bosnia & Herzegovinia. Mirte Scheper (Amstelveen) is from the Netherlands and Ayoleka Sodade is from (Windsor) Canada.
OURSLER TO JOIN TEAM FOR SECOND SEMESTER
The Bulls will have to wait a little longer for the services of 6-3 center Cassie Oursler. The Grand Island, NY native transferred to UB from Robert Morris nearly a year ago and will be eligible for the second semester. Oursler started 25 games for the Colonials and averaged 7.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. She was named to the NEC All-Rookie Team. She was a standout at Grand Island High School where she averaged 22.5 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game as a senior and was named the Western New York Player of the Year.
SIGN ME UP!
Felisha Legette-Jack announced the signing of Theresa Onwuka to a National Letter of Intent on November 11. Onwuka will be the Bulls lone signee for the class of 2016. Onwuka is a 5'10" guard from Lake Forest Academy in Illinois. On the court last season, she led the team in scoring and was one of the leaders in every statistical category. Her high school coach, Chris Tennyson, says, "she is simply a difference maker. She is absolutely relentless driving to the basket and passionate about earning second opportunities for her teammates on the boards. She is a special player and an even better person." In addition to playing basketball she also plays volleyball and is on the track & field team at Lake Forest Academy. In her first season of track & field, she was the team's top sprinter and best jumper. The athletic guard holds three school records in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump at Lake Forest Academy.
