Saturday, December 7
Olean, NY
12:00 PM
at
St. Bonaventure
Bulls Set For Big 4 Clash at St. Bonaventure on Saturday
12/6/2019 10:27:00β―AM | Women's Basketball
Buffalo (6-2, 0-0 MAC) vs. St. Bonaventure (1-7, 0-0 A-10)
December 7, 2019
Reilly Center β 12 pm
Bulls on the Air β
Radio β ESPN 1520-AM WWKB/TuneIn App
Television β ESPN+
BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo women's basketball team will wrap up their five-game road trip as they travel to Big 4 rival St. Bonaventure for a Noon contest against the Bonnies on Saturday. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Tommy Valentine (pbp) and Mike Hogan (color) announcing and broadcast on ESPN 1520 WWKB and TuneIn Radio with Matt Mattia on the call.
Β
TODAY'S STORYLINES
β’ The University at Buffalo women's basketball team will wrap up their five-game road trip as they travel to St. Bonaventure for a Noon contest against the Bonnies on Saturday.
β’ This is 31st meeting between Buffalo and St. Bonaventure with the Bonnies holding the 18-10 series advantage. The Bulls have won four of the past five contests against the Bonnies, most recently a 90-43 drubbing at Alumni Arena last season.
β’ Buffalo won the Hawk Classic, held at Saint Joseph's University, after a 2-0 weekend with wins over Drexel and American.
β’ UB is one of only two teams in the country to have two players averaging 20+ ppg (Dyaisha Fair 24.3 ppg, Theresa Onwuka 20.0 ppg). Fair is currently second in the nation in scoring.
β’ The Bulls rank 25th in the nation in three point field goals made (8.5), 24th in three point field goals attempted (213) and 34th in three point field goals made (68).
β’ The Bulls moved up 10 spots to No. 9 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. UB is the highest-ranked of the three MAC teams on the list.
β’ Dyaisha Fair became the first Buffalo freshman to score 30+ points in a game since 2000, with 31 points in a win at Niagara.
β’ Onwuka was named Co-MAC East Player of the Week on Tuesday after averaging 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.0 steals in a pair of UB wins.
β’ Summer Hemphill was named to the All-MAC East Team and was a unanimous selection for Big 4 Preseason Player of the Year. Joining Hemphill on the first team is senior Theresa Onwuka and junior Hanna Hall.
GAME 8 RECAP: AMERICAN
β’The University at Buffalo women's basketball team cruised to their second straight win with a 73-55 victory over American in the final game of the Hawk Classic at Hagan Arena on Sunday afternoon.
β’ Senior Theresa Onwuka led the Bulls with 18 points while Elea Gaba recorded her first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
β’ Dyaisha Fair also scored 12 points, Jessika Schiffer tied her career-high with nine points and Hanna Hall and Marissa Hamilton recorded eight points apiece.
β’ Buffalo shot 47.5% from the floor and a perfect 11-of-11 from the charity stripe. The Bulls won the rebounding battle for the second straight game, 43-32, while outscoring the Eagles 36-24 in the paint and turned 22 American turnovers into 21 fastbreak points.
Β
PREVIEWING ST. BONAVENTURE
β’ The St. Bonaventure Bonnies (1-7) enter Saturday afternoon's contest on a six-game losing streak after an 81-58 setback at Kent State on Tuesday.
β’ The Bonnies are led offensively by sophomore guard Asianae Johnson who averages 11.8 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding (5.4 rpg). Senior guard Dajah Logan is also averaging in double-figures at 10.6 points per game. Forward Emily Calabrese (7.6 ppg) is grabbing a team-best 6.6 rebounds per contest.
β’ The Bonnies are a dangerous three-point shooting team as they rank in the top-60 nationally in three-point field goals made (60) and three-point field goals percentage (.359).
β’ St. Bonaventure was picked to finish 13th in the Atlantic 10 in the preseason coaches poll and sophomore guard Deja Francis was named to the all-conference third team.
β’ Jesse Fleming enters his fourth season at the helm of the St. Bonaventure women's basketball program. Under his leadership, Francis was named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team and the Bonnies have seen success off the court as well as several players have earned A-10 All-Academic honors.
β’ One of the top assistant coaches in the nation prior to being named head coach at St. Bonaventure, Fleming returned to SBU after spending the previous four seasons at Bowling Green, where helped guide the Falcons' program to the Mid-American Conference Championship in 2014.
Β
ROC NATION
β’ Freshman Dyaisha Fair has made an immediate impact in her first season in the blue and white as she is averaging 24.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in eight starts.
β’ She is currently second in the nation in scoring average (24.3 ppg) and field goal attempts (162) and ranks third in final points (194) and three point field goals attempted (82) and fourth in three point field goals made (31).
Β β’ Fair was named MAC East Player of the Week on Nov. 19 after averaging 24.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals in wins over Canisius and Columbia.
β’ At Niagara, Fair became the first Buffalo freshman to score 30+ points in a game since 2000, with 31 points.
β’ A Rochester, NY native, Fair comes to the Bulls after a successful high school career at Edison Tech High School where she averaged 35 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists during her senior campaign.
β’ The ultra-talented point guard led Section V in scoring and was named All-Greater Player of the Year, becoming the first Rochester City School District player to win the award since its inauguration in 1993.
Β
ONWUKA TURNING HEADS IN STARTING ROLE
β’ Senior guard Theresa Onwuka has embraced her role as a senior captain, leading the Bulls on both ends of the floor.
β’ Onwuka is enjoying a strong start to her senior season as she ranks second on the team averaging 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals while shooting 59.4% from the floor and 89.5% from the charity stripe.
β’ Onwuka set a career-high in three straight games to start the season, capped by a 30 point performance in a win over Canisius.
β’ Onwuka was named MAC East Co-Player of the Week on Dec. 3 after averaging 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.0 steals in a pair of wins at the Hawk Classic.
β’ The Nigeria native earned an invite to the Nigerian national camp over the summer for the second straight season as she practiced and trained with the top basketball players from her home country. The experience helped Onwuka grow as a player and helped build her confidence.
Β
HALL PASS
β’ Junior Hanna Hall returns for her third year with the Bulls and looks to be a mainstay in the Bulls lineup after earning the start in 27 of the Bulls 34 games last season.
β’ The Hamilton, ON native is averaging 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists this season.
β’ Hall set a career-high with nine assists at San Jose State.
β’ The junior had the best game of her career at Eastern Michigan on January 9 as she went 6-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc on the night, finishing with a career-high 20 points.
β’ Hall was named to the MAC All-Tournament Team after averaging 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists over three games in Cleveland.
β’ Hall competed at the 2019 Pan American Women's Basketball Games in Lima, Peru as a member of the Canadian National Team.
Β
SUMMER TIME IN BUFFALO
β’ Senior forward Summer Hemphill begins her final season in the blue and white tied for 10th on UB's all-time rebounding list with 759 rebounds and is just 81 points away from becoming Buffalo's 26th 1,000 point scorer.
β’ Hemphill was named Second Team All-MAC last season after averaging 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while recording a team-high 13 double-doubles on the year
β’ The Buffalo, NY native tied her career-high with 24 points, including a career-high 12 field goals, in a win over Central Michigan in the MAC Tournament semifinals (3/15/19).
β’ Hemphill set the MAC Tournament record with 21 rebounds in a win over Ohio in the championship game, earning her a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
β’ Over the past three years, Hemphill has scored in double figures 46 times, while going over the 20+ point mark four times.
β’ Hemphill was named to the Katrina McClain Award watch list as one of the top-20 power forwards in Division 1 college basketball.
β’ Hemphill was also named to the Preseason All-MAC East Division Team and was selected as the unanimous Preseason Big 4 Player of the Year.
Β
YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
β’ With 11 underclassmen on the roster, the Bulls are the youngest team in the MAC and the youngest of any opponent on the schedule this season.
Β
UNITED NATIONS
β’ The Bulls roster features players from five countries including Germany (Gaba, Schiffer), Great Britain (Christie), Nigeria (Onwuka), Canada (Adeyeye, Hall, Kounkou, Walters) and the U.S.
β’ Elea Gaba took home a gold medal with the German national team at the 2018 U18 European Championships and also competed at the 2019 U18 European Championships and 2019 U19 World Cup.
β’ Jessika Schiffer won a gold medal with Gaba at the 2018 U18 European Championships and teamed with Gaba at the 2019 World Cup. She also competed at the 2019 U20 Women's European Championship.
β’ Loren Christie represented Great Britain in two straight years at the U20 European Championships and captained the U16 Great Britain national team at the 2017 European Championship. She also led her high school to a WEABL Championship and earned WEABL first team honors during her senior season.
Β
MACtion
β’ After seeing two of its teams advance to the NCAA Tournament a year ago (Buffalo, Central Michigan), the Mid-American Conference continues to gain respect on the national stage as three teams are currently ranked in the Mid-Major Top-25 - No. 9 Buffalo, No. 13 Ohio, No. 15 Central Michigan
*As of December 3, 2019
Β
CLOSING TIME
β’ The Bulls have been extremely effective closing out games over the last five years, winning 107 of their last 112 games (.955) when leading or tied with five minutes left, including 74 of their last 76.
Β
BOMBS AWAY:
β’ For the second time in as many seasons, the Bulls broke the single-season record for three pointers with 242 triples, besting the previous mark set of 230 set by the 2017-18 squad. The 2018-19 Bulls also set the single-season record for three point field goals attempted with 765 surpassing the previous mark of 689 attempts set by the 2015-16 team.
β’ This season the Bulls rank 25th in the nation in three point field goals made per game (8.5), 24th in three point field goals attempted (213) and 34th in three point field goals made (68).
Β
TURNING THEM OVER
β’ Ever since taking over the program eight seasons ago, head coach Felisha Legette-Jack has prided herself on having a team committed to defense and that is no different this season.
β’ The Buffalo defense has forced an average of 17.5 turnovers/game this season.
β’ The Bulls are also averaging 8.8 steals/game while netting an average of 14.3 points/game off of opponent's turnovers.
Β
PAINTING A NEW PICTURE
β’ The Bulls are finding success in the paint once again this season as they have won or tied the battle in the paint in five of seven games this season and are currently averaging 29.0 points/game in the paint.
β’ The Bulls dominated the paint last season as UB won or tied the scoring in the paint category in 28 of 34 contests and were 19-3 last season when winning the battle inside.
Β
CREATING SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
β’ Buffalo excelled all season long on the offensive glass as the Bulls led the MAC and ranked 23rd nationally in offensive rebounding, averaging 14.9/game last season.
β’ This season, the Bulls are averaging a MAC-best 15.9 offensive rebounds/game, while averaging 13.8 second chance points off those offensive boards.
β’ Buffalo has grabbed at least 10 offensive rebounds in six of their eight games this season, including a season-high 23 and snagged 20+ on five occasions.
Β
RUNNING WITH THE BULLS
β’ The Bulls excelled in the open court last season, outscoring opponents 455-268 in the fastbreak category.
β’ Buffalo has recorded eight or more fast break points in six of eight games this season.
β’ Over the past three plus seasons, the Bulls have won or tied the fast break category in 89 of 109 games, including 72 of their 81 wins.
Β
HOME SWEET HOME
β’ Since Legette-Jack took over before the 2012-13 season, the Bulls hold a 69-29 (.704) record at home across 98 contests.
β’ Over the last two plus seasons, UB is 23-3 at Alumni Arena. The 2017-18 team finished a perfect 12-0 at home overall and 9-0 in conference play.
β’ On the flip side, Legette-Jack's Bulls are 80-59 (.576) on the road or on neutral ground during her tenure.
Β
80 PLUS
β’ The Bulls have always been known for their defense but over the last few seasons the UB offense has come alive, leading the Bulls to success on the national stage in back-to-back seasons.
β’ The Bulls are tough to beat when they score 80+ points as they own a 32-5 record over the past two plus years when doing so.
β’ The Bulls posted 80+ performances on 14 occasions last season, coming away with victories in 12 of those games.
Β
60 OR LESS
β’ Over the last three seasons, UB is 64-3 when holding their opponents to under 70 points and 43-0 when holding opponents to 59 points or less.
β’ The stingy Buffalo defense held a total of 22 opponents under 70 points last season, winning 20 of those contests.
β’ Buffalo has held a total of ten opponents under 50 points over the last two seasons and they were a perfect 10-0 in those games.
Β
PRESEASON PRAISE
β’ The Bulls were picked to finish second in the MAC East in the preseason poll as voted on by the conference coaches.
β’ Buffalo earned 56 total points behind Ohio who notched 12 first place votes and 72 total points.
β’ The defending MAC champions also earned one vote to win the MAC Tournament Championship, while Ohio earned 10 votes and Northern Illinois garnered one vote.
β’ The Bulls also placed Summer Hemphill on the preseason All-MAC East Division Team for the second consecutive year.
Β
HEMPHILL NAMED BIG 4 PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
β’ Senior forward Summer Hemphill was selected by local media and athletic communication offices as the Preseason Big 4 Player of the Year.
β’ Hemphill was also one of three unanimous First Team All-Big 4 representatives.
β’ Joining Hemphill on the First Team is senior guard Theresa Onwuka and junior guard Hanna Hall.
Β
ANOTHER 20+ WIN SEASON
β’ The wins continue to pile up for the Bulls under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack as they produced their fourth straight 20+ win campaign in 2018-19.
β’ This marks the second time in school history the Bulls have won 20+ games in four straight seasons as they previously accomplished that feat from 1993-97.
β’ Buffalo posted 16 victories last season by double-digits, including four of their last five games and also posted six victories by 20+ points including a season-high 47 point victory, 90-43, over St. Bonaventure on December 23, 2018.
β’ UB also dominated MAC opponents, defeating conference foes by an average of 17.1 points.
Β
QUARTET OF CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2019-20 SEASON
β’ After the graduation of one of the winningest classes in the Bulls division I history, Buffalo will be relying on a new group of captains to lead the squad this season.
β’ After a team vote, the Bulls named Hanna Hall, Theresa Onwuka, Adebola Adeyeye and Summer Hemphill as team captains.
β’ The four captains have been a part of three straight 20+ win seasons.
Β
UP NEXT:
Buffalo will now have an extended 10-day break from action to focus on finals before returning home on Tuesday Dec. 17 when they will host Dayton at Alumni Arena at 7pm.
Β
December 7, 2019
Reilly Center β 12 pm
Bulls on the Air β
Radio β ESPN 1520-AM WWKB/TuneIn App
Television β ESPN+
BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo women's basketball team will wrap up their five-game road trip as they travel to Big 4 rival St. Bonaventure for a Noon contest against the Bonnies on Saturday. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Tommy Valentine (pbp) and Mike Hogan (color) announcing and broadcast on ESPN 1520 WWKB and TuneIn Radio with Matt Mattia on the call.
Β
TODAY'S STORYLINES
β’ The University at Buffalo women's basketball team will wrap up their five-game road trip as they travel to St. Bonaventure for a Noon contest against the Bonnies on Saturday.
β’ This is 31st meeting between Buffalo and St. Bonaventure with the Bonnies holding the 18-10 series advantage. The Bulls have won four of the past five contests against the Bonnies, most recently a 90-43 drubbing at Alumni Arena last season.
β’ Buffalo won the Hawk Classic, held at Saint Joseph's University, after a 2-0 weekend with wins over Drexel and American.
β’ UB is one of only two teams in the country to have two players averaging 20+ ppg (Dyaisha Fair 24.3 ppg, Theresa Onwuka 20.0 ppg). Fair is currently second in the nation in scoring.
β’ The Bulls rank 25th in the nation in three point field goals made (8.5), 24th in three point field goals attempted (213) and 34th in three point field goals made (68).
β’ The Bulls moved up 10 spots to No. 9 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. UB is the highest-ranked of the three MAC teams on the list.
β’ Dyaisha Fair became the first Buffalo freshman to score 30+ points in a game since 2000, with 31 points in a win at Niagara.
β’ Onwuka was named Co-MAC East Player of the Week on Tuesday after averaging 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.0 steals in a pair of UB wins.
β’ Summer Hemphill was named to the All-MAC East Team and was a unanimous selection for Big 4 Preseason Player of the Year. Joining Hemphill on the first team is senior Theresa Onwuka and junior Hanna Hall.
GAME 8 RECAP: AMERICAN
β’The University at Buffalo women's basketball team cruised to their second straight win with a 73-55 victory over American in the final game of the Hawk Classic at Hagan Arena on Sunday afternoon.
β’ Senior Theresa Onwuka led the Bulls with 18 points while Elea Gaba recorded her first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
β’ Dyaisha Fair also scored 12 points, Jessika Schiffer tied her career-high with nine points and Hanna Hall and Marissa Hamilton recorded eight points apiece.
β’ Buffalo shot 47.5% from the floor and a perfect 11-of-11 from the charity stripe. The Bulls won the rebounding battle for the second straight game, 43-32, while outscoring the Eagles 36-24 in the paint and turned 22 American turnovers into 21 fastbreak points.
Β
PREVIEWING ST. BONAVENTURE
β’ The St. Bonaventure Bonnies (1-7) enter Saturday afternoon's contest on a six-game losing streak after an 81-58 setback at Kent State on Tuesday.
β’ The Bonnies are led offensively by sophomore guard Asianae Johnson who averages 11.8 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding (5.4 rpg). Senior guard Dajah Logan is also averaging in double-figures at 10.6 points per game. Forward Emily Calabrese (7.6 ppg) is grabbing a team-best 6.6 rebounds per contest.
β’ The Bonnies are a dangerous three-point shooting team as they rank in the top-60 nationally in three-point field goals made (60) and three-point field goals percentage (.359).
β’ St. Bonaventure was picked to finish 13th in the Atlantic 10 in the preseason coaches poll and sophomore guard Deja Francis was named to the all-conference third team.
β’ Jesse Fleming enters his fourth season at the helm of the St. Bonaventure women's basketball program. Under his leadership, Francis was named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team and the Bonnies have seen success off the court as well as several players have earned A-10 All-Academic honors.
β’ One of the top assistant coaches in the nation prior to being named head coach at St. Bonaventure, Fleming returned to SBU after spending the previous four seasons at Bowling Green, where helped guide the Falcons' program to the Mid-American Conference Championship in 2014.
Β
ROC NATION
β’ Freshman Dyaisha Fair has made an immediate impact in her first season in the blue and white as she is averaging 24.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in eight starts.
β’ She is currently second in the nation in scoring average (24.3 ppg) and field goal attempts (162) and ranks third in final points (194) and three point field goals attempted (82) and fourth in three point field goals made (31).
Β β’ Fair was named MAC East Player of the Week on Nov. 19 after averaging 24.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals in wins over Canisius and Columbia.
β’ At Niagara, Fair became the first Buffalo freshman to score 30+ points in a game since 2000, with 31 points.
β’ A Rochester, NY native, Fair comes to the Bulls after a successful high school career at Edison Tech High School where she averaged 35 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists during her senior campaign.
β’ The ultra-talented point guard led Section V in scoring and was named All-Greater Player of the Year, becoming the first Rochester City School District player to win the award since its inauguration in 1993.
Β
ONWUKA TURNING HEADS IN STARTING ROLE
β’ Senior guard Theresa Onwuka has embraced her role as a senior captain, leading the Bulls on both ends of the floor.
β’ Onwuka is enjoying a strong start to her senior season as she ranks second on the team averaging 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals while shooting 59.4% from the floor and 89.5% from the charity stripe.
β’ Onwuka set a career-high in three straight games to start the season, capped by a 30 point performance in a win over Canisius.
β’ Onwuka was named MAC East Co-Player of the Week on Dec. 3 after averaging 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.0 steals in a pair of wins at the Hawk Classic.
β’ The Nigeria native earned an invite to the Nigerian national camp over the summer for the second straight season as she practiced and trained with the top basketball players from her home country. The experience helped Onwuka grow as a player and helped build her confidence.
Β
HALL PASS
β’ Junior Hanna Hall returns for her third year with the Bulls and looks to be a mainstay in the Bulls lineup after earning the start in 27 of the Bulls 34 games last season.
β’ The Hamilton, ON native is averaging 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists this season.
β’ Hall set a career-high with nine assists at San Jose State.
β’ The junior had the best game of her career at Eastern Michigan on January 9 as she went 6-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc on the night, finishing with a career-high 20 points.
β’ Hall was named to the MAC All-Tournament Team after averaging 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists over three games in Cleveland.
β’ Hall competed at the 2019 Pan American Women's Basketball Games in Lima, Peru as a member of the Canadian National Team.
Β
SUMMER TIME IN BUFFALO
β’ Senior forward Summer Hemphill begins her final season in the blue and white tied for 10th on UB's all-time rebounding list with 759 rebounds and is just 81 points away from becoming Buffalo's 26th 1,000 point scorer.
β’ Hemphill was named Second Team All-MAC last season after averaging 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while recording a team-high 13 double-doubles on the year
β’ The Buffalo, NY native tied her career-high with 24 points, including a career-high 12 field goals, in a win over Central Michigan in the MAC Tournament semifinals (3/15/19).
β’ Hemphill set the MAC Tournament record with 21 rebounds in a win over Ohio in the championship game, earning her a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
β’ Over the past three years, Hemphill has scored in double figures 46 times, while going over the 20+ point mark four times.
β’ Hemphill was named to the Katrina McClain Award watch list as one of the top-20 power forwards in Division 1 college basketball.
β’ Hemphill was also named to the Preseason All-MAC East Division Team and was selected as the unanimous Preseason Big 4 Player of the Year.
Β
YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
β’ With 11 underclassmen on the roster, the Bulls are the youngest team in the MAC and the youngest of any opponent on the schedule this season.
Β
UNITED NATIONS
β’ The Bulls roster features players from five countries including Germany (Gaba, Schiffer), Great Britain (Christie), Nigeria (Onwuka), Canada (Adeyeye, Hall, Kounkou, Walters) and the U.S.
β’ Elea Gaba took home a gold medal with the German national team at the 2018 U18 European Championships and also competed at the 2019 U18 European Championships and 2019 U19 World Cup.
β’ Jessika Schiffer won a gold medal with Gaba at the 2018 U18 European Championships and teamed with Gaba at the 2019 World Cup. She also competed at the 2019 U20 Women's European Championship.
β’ Loren Christie represented Great Britain in two straight years at the U20 European Championships and captained the U16 Great Britain national team at the 2017 European Championship. She also led her high school to a WEABL Championship and earned WEABL first team honors during her senior season.
Β
MACtion
β’ After seeing two of its teams advance to the NCAA Tournament a year ago (Buffalo, Central Michigan), the Mid-American Conference continues to gain respect on the national stage as three teams are currently ranked in the Mid-Major Top-25 - No. 9 Buffalo, No. 13 Ohio, No. 15 Central Michigan
*As of December 3, 2019
Β
CLOSING TIME
β’ The Bulls have been extremely effective closing out games over the last five years, winning 107 of their last 112 games (.955) when leading or tied with five minutes left, including 74 of their last 76.
Β
BOMBS AWAY:
β’ For the second time in as many seasons, the Bulls broke the single-season record for three pointers with 242 triples, besting the previous mark set of 230 set by the 2017-18 squad. The 2018-19 Bulls also set the single-season record for three point field goals attempted with 765 surpassing the previous mark of 689 attempts set by the 2015-16 team.
β’ This season the Bulls rank 25th in the nation in three point field goals made per game (8.5), 24th in three point field goals attempted (213) and 34th in three point field goals made (68).
Β
TURNING THEM OVER
β’ Ever since taking over the program eight seasons ago, head coach Felisha Legette-Jack has prided herself on having a team committed to defense and that is no different this season.
β’ The Buffalo defense has forced an average of 17.5 turnovers/game this season.
β’ The Bulls are also averaging 8.8 steals/game while netting an average of 14.3 points/game off of opponent's turnovers.
Β
PAINTING A NEW PICTURE
β’ The Bulls are finding success in the paint once again this season as they have won or tied the battle in the paint in five of seven games this season and are currently averaging 29.0 points/game in the paint.
β’ The Bulls dominated the paint last season as UB won or tied the scoring in the paint category in 28 of 34 contests and were 19-3 last season when winning the battle inside.
Β
CREATING SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
β’ Buffalo excelled all season long on the offensive glass as the Bulls led the MAC and ranked 23rd nationally in offensive rebounding, averaging 14.9/game last season.
β’ This season, the Bulls are averaging a MAC-best 15.9 offensive rebounds/game, while averaging 13.8 second chance points off those offensive boards.
β’ Buffalo has grabbed at least 10 offensive rebounds in six of their eight games this season, including a season-high 23 and snagged 20+ on five occasions.
Β
RUNNING WITH THE BULLS
β’ The Bulls excelled in the open court last season, outscoring opponents 455-268 in the fastbreak category.
β’ Buffalo has recorded eight or more fast break points in six of eight games this season.
β’ Over the past three plus seasons, the Bulls have won or tied the fast break category in 89 of 109 games, including 72 of their 81 wins.
Β
HOME SWEET HOME
β’ Since Legette-Jack took over before the 2012-13 season, the Bulls hold a 69-29 (.704) record at home across 98 contests.
β’ Over the last two plus seasons, UB is 23-3 at Alumni Arena. The 2017-18 team finished a perfect 12-0 at home overall and 9-0 in conference play.
β’ On the flip side, Legette-Jack's Bulls are 80-59 (.576) on the road or on neutral ground during her tenure.
Β
80 PLUS
β’ The Bulls have always been known for their defense but over the last few seasons the UB offense has come alive, leading the Bulls to success on the national stage in back-to-back seasons.
β’ The Bulls are tough to beat when they score 80+ points as they own a 32-5 record over the past two plus years when doing so.
β’ The Bulls posted 80+ performances on 14 occasions last season, coming away with victories in 12 of those games.
Β
60 OR LESS
β’ Over the last three seasons, UB is 64-3 when holding their opponents to under 70 points and 43-0 when holding opponents to 59 points or less.
β’ The stingy Buffalo defense held a total of 22 opponents under 70 points last season, winning 20 of those contests.
β’ Buffalo has held a total of ten opponents under 50 points over the last two seasons and they were a perfect 10-0 in those games.
Β
PRESEASON PRAISE
β’ The Bulls were picked to finish second in the MAC East in the preseason poll as voted on by the conference coaches.
β’ Buffalo earned 56 total points behind Ohio who notched 12 first place votes and 72 total points.
β’ The defending MAC champions also earned one vote to win the MAC Tournament Championship, while Ohio earned 10 votes and Northern Illinois garnered one vote.
β’ The Bulls also placed Summer Hemphill on the preseason All-MAC East Division Team for the second consecutive year.
Β
HEMPHILL NAMED BIG 4 PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
β’ Senior forward Summer Hemphill was selected by local media and athletic communication offices as the Preseason Big 4 Player of the Year.
β’ Hemphill was also one of three unanimous First Team All-Big 4 representatives.
β’ Joining Hemphill on the First Team is senior guard Theresa Onwuka and junior guard Hanna Hall.
Β
ANOTHER 20+ WIN SEASON
β’ The wins continue to pile up for the Bulls under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack as they produced their fourth straight 20+ win campaign in 2018-19.
β’ This marks the second time in school history the Bulls have won 20+ games in four straight seasons as they previously accomplished that feat from 1993-97.
β’ Buffalo posted 16 victories last season by double-digits, including four of their last five games and also posted six victories by 20+ points including a season-high 47 point victory, 90-43, over St. Bonaventure on December 23, 2018.
β’ UB also dominated MAC opponents, defeating conference foes by an average of 17.1 points.
Β
QUARTET OF CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2019-20 SEASON
β’ After the graduation of one of the winningest classes in the Bulls division I history, Buffalo will be relying on a new group of captains to lead the squad this season.
β’ After a team vote, the Bulls named Hanna Hall, Theresa Onwuka, Adebola Adeyeye and Summer Hemphill as team captains.
β’ The four captains have been a part of three straight 20+ win seasons.
Β
UP NEXT:
Buffalo will now have an extended 10-day break from action to focus on finals before returning home on Tuesday Dec. 17 when they will host Dayton at Alumni Arena at 7pm.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballBTS from Women's Basketball content day πΈπ
Tuesday, October 14
1-on-1 with new head women's basketball coach Kristen Sharkey | A Sisterhood
Thursday, May 29
1-on-1 with new head women's basketball coach Kristen Sharkey | What Lead Me to Coaching
Thursday, May 29
1-on-1 with new head women's basketball coach Kristen Sharkey | Excited and Joyful
Thursday, May 29
