Women's Hoops Set For Showdown With Preseason MAC Favorite Ohio On Wednesday Night
1/3/2017 12:00:00β―AM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo women's basketball team (11-1, 1-0 MAC) hits the road on Wednesday for their first conference road game of the season as they head to Ohio for a showdown with the preseason favorite Ohio Bobcats. The Bulls won their only game in Athens, OH last season as they downed the Bobcats 70-58. Tip at the Convocation Center is set for 7:00 pm on Wednesday night.
The game tomorrow will be on TV as it will air live on Time Warner Cable Sports and ESPN3. Fans can also tune into ESPN1520 tomorrow starting at 6:30pm as Matt Mattia will be on the call and get you ready for UB women's hoops action with the pre game show.
BULLS HEAD TO OHIO FOR FIRST MAC ROAD GAME
Coming off of their first Mid-American Conference victory of the season at home on Saturday against Miami (OH), the Bulls will head to Athens, OH to take on the preseason MAC East favorites on Wednesday night. Buffalo won all three meetings against the Bobcats last season, their only three MAC losses all season long. The Bulls are aiming for their first 2-0 MAC start since 2012-13 when UB started 3-0 before suffering their first MAC loss of the season. Buffalo will be looking to imrpove to 4-1 on the road as they head to Athens.
UB NOTCHES MAC VICTORY OVER MIAMI ON SATURDAY
The Bulls rebounded from their first loss of the season on New Year's Eve with a dominant 71-45 victory over Miami (OH) in their MAC opener at Alumni Arena. The Buffalo defense got back on track against the RedHawks as Miami was only able to shoot 25% from the floor for the game and turned the ball over 17 times which UB turned into 19 points. Offensively, JoAnna Smith led the Bulls with 11 points and seven rebounds while Stephanie Reid had another strong game at the point as she netted five points and 10 assists, her second straight 10 assist game for the Bulls. With the win, the Bulls are now 8-0 at home this season.
FAMILIAR FOE
The Bulls and Bobcats are no strangers as the two MAC squads will be facing off for the 36th time in their history. The Bulls own the 19-16 edge in the all-time series after winning all three matchups against the Bobcats last season. UB was the lone MAC team to defeat Ohio as they downed them twice in the regular season by an average of 10 points. UB then defeated the regular season MAC champions 72-60 in the MAC Quarterfinals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland as UB went on to win their first MAC Championship in program history.
ROAD WARRIORS
Dating back to last season, the Bulls are 8-3 over their last 11 road games including a 3-1 mark this season. The Bulls are averaging 64.0 points/game on the road while allowing their opponents to score 62.3 PPG. The Bulls also just capped off their third game in three days on Saturday with a dominant 71-45 victory as they went 2-1 in those three game to improve to a program best 11-1 start to the season.
PLAYING AT A HIGH LEVEL
The Bulls have been playing at a very high level ever since their improbable MAC Championship run a season ago. UB has accumulated a 19-3 record over their last 22 games as only UConn (22-0) and Maryland (20-2) have accumulated a better record over those 22 games. The 11-1 start to this season matches the best start to a season in program history.
SPREAD OFFENSE
One of the major strengths of the Bulls this season has been their depth at every position. The Bulls have played all 13 players in at least five games this season while 12 players have appeared in at least eight games. Buffalo has seen 11 players net at least seven points in a game this season and they have been led in scoring by five different players through 12 games. UB has had at least eight players score in 10 of 12 games this season.
CLEANING THE GLASS
One of the keys to the Bulls success this season has been winning the battle on the boards and this continued to prove true on Saturday as the UB outrebounded Miami 54-42. With the win, UB moved to 11-1 on the year and 28-5 over the past two seasons when winning or tying the rebounding battle. The Bulls were able to collect 20 offensive and turn those into 19 points. On the year, UB ranks 10th in the NCAA in rebounding margin (+12.0), 13th in offensive rebounds (17.0/game) and 16th in rebounds (44.8/game). UB is also averaging 14.8 second chance points/game so far this season while holding their opponents to an average of 6.8/game.
THE PINE IS FINE
The Buffalo bench has been strong all season long and that continued against Miami as the Bulls outscored the RedHawks 44-23 off the pine. The 44 bench points was the second highest total this season for UB. Leading the bench was freshman Theresa Onwuka who was able to notch a career-high 10 points and five rebounds while Ayoleka Sodade also notched a career-best eight points in the win. Seven Buffalo bench members netted at least three points while eight grabbed at least one rebound in the MAC opening win. UB is now 10-1 on the year when their bench outscores their opponents bench. UB is getting an average of 27.7 PPG out of their bench players on the season.
SHOOTING FOR THE STARS
One of the keys to success for the Bulls over the past couple of seasons under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack has been shooting a better percentage from the floor than their opponents. The Bulls were able to win this category on Saturday against the RedHawks as they held Miami to just 25.0% shooting from the floor for the game. The Bulls were able to shoot 38.2% in the win. UB is 9-0 this season and 26-1 over the past two seasons when shooting a higher percentage from the floor than their opponents.
PAINT SCORING KEY TO SUCCESS
Playing for a coach that dominated the paint throughout her very successful career, the talented Bulls have begun to take a page out of their coaches book as they have won the battle in the paint in all 12 games this season. The Bulls are 11-1 on tghe year when winning the battle in the paint as they are averaging 32.5 points while limiting opponents to just 20.8 points inside the paint.
NO SECOND CHANCES
The Bulls have turned into one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the nation while also limiting their opponents to limit second chance opportunities. Over their last four games, the Bulls have limited their opponents to just an average of 4.8 second chance points. UB held St. Bonaventure to zero second chance points earlier this season. The rebounding effort by the Bulls has been impressive as they are limiting their last four opponents to just eight offensive rebounds/game.
SHARING MINUTES
The depth of the Bulls has been a strength all season long and it has helped UB produce a 11-1 record to start the season. All 13 UB players are averaging at least 5.6 minutes of action a game while only four UB players are averaging at least 20 minutes/game. The Bulls have 12 players averaging at least 9.0 minutes/game while JoAnna Smith's playing time went from 34.4 minutes/game last season to 27.6 minutes/game this year, helping the senior stay fresh for another late season run.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
The strength of the Bulls over the past two seasons has been their defense and that has helped UB gather a 11-1 record to start the season. The Buffalo defense got back on track on Saturday in their MAC opener as they limited the RedHawks to just 25.0% shooting for the game and just 23.5% from deep. The UB defense has been especially stingy against the three point shot as they rank second in the MAC in three point defense, holding opponents to just 29.4% from behind the arc. The Bulls also lead the MAC in scoring defense as they are holding opponents to 55.0 points/game. Buffalo is 35-7 over the last two seasons when holding their opponents under 70 points and are 15-0 when holding their opponents to scoring 50 points or less over the past two seasons. UB is also 8-0 this season when holding their opponents to 59 points or less.
JOANNA SMITH JUST SIX POINTS SHY OF 1,000
Senior JoAnna Smith was able to lead the Bulls in scoring in their MAC opener despite only playing 24 minutes. The senior netted 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals while going only 4-for-16 from the floor. The Southaven, MS native went 2-for-6 from behind the arc as she has now connected on at least one three pointer in 46 of her last 48 games and at least three triples in 26 of her last 48 games. Smith sits in fourth place on the all-time three pointers made list with 144 makes in her career and she is now just 17 threes shy of third place on the list. Buffalo is 9-0 this season and 28-11 over the past two seasons when Smith scores at least 10 points in a game. The Bulls leading scorer has netted 994 career points as she aims to become just the 23rd player in program history to surpass the 1,000-point plateau. On the season, Smith is averaging a team-best 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists and 1.5 steals while leading UB in scoring five times.
REID NOTCHES BACK-TO-BACK 10 ASSIST GAMES
Junior point guard Stephanie Reid continued to prove to be an elite distributor of the basketball on Saturday in the win against Miami (OH). Reid was able to notch her second straight game with 10 assists as she became the first player to do so in tghe MAC this season. With the 10 assists, Reid moved into 9th place on the all-time assist chart with 315 career helpers. She is now just one shy of 8th place and 15 shy of 7th place on the all-time charts. The Australian native has reached double figures in scoring six times in her last nine games. The crafty defender ranks 10th in the MAC averaging 2.0 SPG. Behind her recent strong play, Reid is averaging 9.3 points, 6.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals while ranking second in the MAC in assist/turnover ratio (2.7) and third in assists (6.5 APG).
OURSLER MAKING STRIDES OFFENSIVELY
Junior center Cassie Oursler wasn't able to get into a groove on Saturday in the MAC opener as she played just 15 minutes and finished with four points, two rebounds, one block and one steal. On the season, Oursler is averaging 20.2 minutes, 10.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 47.7% from the floor and 68.0% from the charity stripe. Dating back to last season, Oursler has scored in double figures in 11 of her last 19 games while recording at least one block in 19 of 22 as she has turned into a defensive stopper inside the paint for UB. Oursler has notched 14 multi-block games in her 36 career outings.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
Freshman forward Summer Hemphill has shown flashes of greatness through her first 12 games. The freshman came off the bench and played 14 minutes on Saturday while scoring six points and adding seven rebounds. Hemphill went 2-for-4 from the floor and currently ranks second in the MAC in field goal percentage (62.5%). The Buffalo native continues to cause problems for opposing teams with her length at the top of the Buffalo press while also settling in defensively as she has notched at least one block in nine straight games and has recorded at least one steal in eight of 12 games. The freshman has notched two blocks in five of her last nine games. Through 12 career games, Hemphill is averaging 7.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks. Her 2.7 offensive rebounds/game ranks 9th in the MAC so far this season as she has caused problems on the glass with her quick leaping ability.
BAD(E) TO THE BONE
Sophomore Gabi Bade has proved to be a legitamate scoring threat off the Buffalo bench over her two-year career. The Milpitas, CA native put in her second straight strong showing as she finished with six points and one rebound across 16 minutes on Saturday. Bade is having a career year for UB as she is averaging 17.0 minutes, 6.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists while also netting a career-high 16 points earlier in the season. UB is 3-0 this season and 5-1 over the past two seasons when Bade nets at least 10 points.
MORRISON GROWING INTO BENCH ROLE
After starting the first two games of the season at forward, Sophomore Brittany Morrison is expanding her game off the bench for the Bulls over the past 10 games. The undersized forward came off the bench in Saturday's win and led the team with eight rebounds while also scoring four points. Morrison was able to snag three offensive rebounds in 18 minutes of work. Morrison has been strong on the offensive glass as she has grabbed 19 offensive rebounds through 12 games. The North Ridgeville, OH native is averaging 3.5 points and 3.9 rebounds across 12.8 minutes/game so far this season.
ONWUKA HAS CAREER GAME IN MAC OPENER
Freshman Theresa Onwuka has continued to improve and earn the trust of the UB coaching staff through 12 games this season. The lengthy guard had a career game on Saturday in the win over Miami as she netted a career-high 10 points and five rebounds on 4-for-9 shooting. The freshman played 17 minutes and looked dangerous slashing to the basket. Onwuka has now seen the floor for 10 minutes or more in six games this season. On the year, Onwuka is averaging 12.0 MPG, 3.8 PPG, 1.8 RPG and 0.7 SPG through 12 career games.
SODADE'S PLAYING TIME INCREASING
After a strong finish to her freshman campaign, sophomore Ayoleka Sodade has continued to grow into a strong bench player for the Bulls this season. The sophomore had her best game of her career on Saturday as she was able to score a career-high eight points on 3-for-6 shooting to go along with two rebounds and an assist across 13 minutes of work. Sodade has seen an increase in playing minutes over the last seven games as she is averaging 10.1 minutes/game and the Bulls have gone 6-1 in those games. On the year, Sodade is averaging 9.0 minutes, 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds while being a strong on ball defender.
TURNING THEM OVER
Through their first 12 games, the Bulls have won the points off turnovers category nine times and they won each of those nine games. On Saturday, UB forced 20 turnovers and they turned those into 19 points while the RedHawks only netted eight points off of UB turnovers. On the year, UB is forcing an average of 18.1 turnovers/game while turning those turnovers into an average of 19.3 PPG.
RUNNING WITH THE BULLS
The Bulls haven't been known to be a team that likes to get out on the fast break and run but that trend has begun to change early on this season with the addition of some athletic and talented freshman. The Bulls were dominant out in transition on Saturday as they netted a season-high 15 fast break points while limiting the RedHawks to just two in the 26-point victory. On the season, UB owns the 114-33 edge in fast break scoring.
