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Bulls Face #3 Kent State in MAC Tournament Quarterfinals on Wednesday
3/10/2020 4:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Buffalo (19-11, 9-9 MAC) vs. Kent State (18-11, 11-7 MAC)
March 11, 2020
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
Bulls on the Air –
Radio – TuneIn App
Television – ESPN+
BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo women's basketball team will face #3 Kent State in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday. It will be the third straight quarterfinal matchup between the two teams, as UB defeated Kent State 85-52 in the 2019 MAC Tournament quarterfinals. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dave Bacon (pbp) and Jacki Windon (color) announcing and broadcast on ESPN 1520 WWKB TuneIn Radio with Matt Mattia and Paul Peck on the call.
TODAY'S STORYLINES
• The University at Buffalo women's basketball team will face #3 Kent State in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday. It will be the third straight quarterfinal matchup between the two teams as UB defeated Kent State 85-52 in the 2019 MAC Tournament quarterfinals.
• The winner of Wednesday night's game will face the winner of #2 Ball State and #7 Eastern Michigan in the semifinals on Friday afternoon.
• The Bulls are 9-2 against MAC East opponents this season.
• This is the 49th meeting between Buffalo and Kent State, with the Golden Flashes owning the 28-20 series edge. The Bulls have won the last 13 of the last 15 meetings with Kent State, most recently a 72-58 win at Alumni Arena on Senior Day.
• A win on Wednesday would be Buffalo's 20th of the season, marking five straight 20+ win seasons for the first time in program history.
• Buffalo has held 11 opponents to 59 points or less this season, going a perfect 11-0 in those games.
• Dyaisha Fair was named Freshman of the Year and was selected to the All-MAC Second Team while Theresa Onwuka was named to the All-Defensive Team and All-MAC Third Team.
• Dyaisha Fair is currently fourth in the nation in scoring at 21.3 points per game. She ranks sixth in the country in final points (596) and 21st in steals per game (2.72).
• The Bulls rank 20th in the nation in rebounds per game (42.5).
• Fair was named to the Dawn Staley Award watch list on February 6th, recognizing the nation's top guard. She is the only freshman of the 15 players on the list.
#6 BUFFALO TO TAKE ON #3 KENT STATE IN CLEVELAND
• Winners of six straight, the University at Buffalo women's basketball team will continue play at the 2020 MAC Tournament on Wednesday evening against #3 Kent State.
• The Bulls finished the regular season with an 18-11 overall record and 9-9 MAC mark.
• These two squads met just days ago in Buffalo, with the Bulls coming away with a 72-58 victory on Senior Day to complete the regular season series sweep.
• Wednesday's game will air on ESPN+ and will be the last game of the day, starting 30 minutes after the conclusion of game three.
• You can also listen in on the radio on ESPN1520 as Matt Mattia and Paul Peck will get you started for action with the UB women's basketball pregame show starting around 7 pm.
FAMILIAR FOE
• The Kent State Golden Flashes enter Saturday's contest against the Bulls with a 19-11 overall, 11-7 MAC record on the year.
• Buffalo swept the regular season series with the Golden Flashes.
• The Bulls and Golden Flashes will meet in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals for the third straight year as UB defeated Kent State 85-52 on March 13, 2019.
• The Golden Flashes are led offensively by Asiah Dingle who is averaging 13.1 points per game. Nila Blackford is leading the team in rebounding at 7.8 boards per contest while scoring 12.3 points per game. Katie Shumate (12.4), Megan Carter (11.9), and Lindsey Thall (11.8) also average in double figures.
• Thall is the MAC's top shot blocker (2.2 bpg) and only NCAA Division 1 player with 50 three-pointers and 50 blocks this season.
• Kent State is the only team in the conference to have five players scoring in double-figures for the season.
• The Golden Flashes lead the MAC and rank 30th in the nation in free throws made at 426 and are third in the league and 41st nationally in free throws attempted (598).
• Todd Starkey is in his fourth season as head coach of the Golden Flashes. Already the third-winningest coach in school history, he has led the Golden Flashes to two Postseason WNIT appearances and one Mid-American Conference East Division title.
TWO BULLS EARN ALL-MAC POSTSEASON HONORS
• The Mid-American Conference announced their postseason awards on Tuesday, with Dyaisha Fair named Freshman of the Year and All-MAC Second Team, while Theresa Onwuka earned All-Defensive Team and All-MAC Third Team honors.
• Fair is the first Buffalo rookie to earn Freshman of the Year honors since Heather Turner (2004-05) and the first Bull to be named to the All-Freshman team since Summer Hemphill in 2017.
• Fair has put together one of the best rookie campaigns in program history as she currently ranks fourth in the nation in scoring at 21.5 points per game, while also averaging 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals per contest. The Rochester, NY native has scored in double figures 27 times, surpassing the 20-point mark 20 times, while recording two double-doubles. She has also led the Bulls in scoring 22 of their 30 games.
• Onwuka earns All-Defensive and Third Team honors for the first time in her Buffalo career. The senior is having the best season of her career, averaging career highs in minutes (35.2), points (14.9), rebounds (7.4) and steals (2.5) while making 49.4% of her field goal attempts and 70.8% of her free throw attempts.
CLEVELAND IS THE REASON
• This marks the sixth straight season the Bulls have made it to the Mid-American Conference quarterfinals in Cleveland.
• The Bulls enter this MAC Tournament as the #6 seed this season with a 19-11 overall record and 9-9 MAC mark.
• Buffalo enters this conference tournament as the defending champions after defeating Ohio 77-61 in the finals a year ago.
ROC NATION
• Freshman Dyaisha Fair has made an immediate impact in her first season in the blue and white as she is averaging 21.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals in 29 games.
• She is currently fourth in the nation in scoring average (21.5 ppg), sixth in final points (624), 21st in steals per game (2.7) and 23rd in total steals (79).
• Fair was named to the Dawn Staley Award watch list, recognizing the nation's top guard, on February 6. She is the only freshman of the 15 players on the list.
• On January 6, Fair was named to the Her Hoop Stats Mid-Major Player of the Year Mid-Season Watch List, recognizing the nation's best mid-major player in women's college basketball.
• Fair has been named MAC East Player of the Week four times this season.
• At Niagara, Fair became the first Buffalo freshman to score 30+ points in a game since 2000, with 31 points.
• 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.
• 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.
ONWUKA TURNING HEADS IN STARTING ROLE
• Senior guard Theresa Onwuka has embraced her role as a senior captain, leading the Bulls on both ends of the floor.
• Onwuka is enjoying a strong senior season as she ranks second on the team in scoring (14.9 ppg) while pulling down a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game and swiping 2.5 steals per contest while shooting 49.4% from the floor.
• Onwuka scored her 1,000th career point in the fourth quarter of UB's win over Kent State on Saturday, becoming the 26th 1,000 point scorer in program history.
• The senior is currently third in the MAC and 28th in the nation in total steals (74) and ranks 30th nationally in steals per game at 2.5.
• Onwuka was one steal away from the school record and a triple double as she scored 17 points while adding 11 rebounds and nine steals against Central Michigan on January 29th.
• Onwuka set a career-high in three straight games to start the season, capped by a 30 point performance in a win over Canisius.
• 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.
• 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.
HALL PASS
• 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.
• The Hamilton, ON native is averaging 8.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 29 starts this season.
• Hall set a career-high with nine assists at San Jose State, tied a career-high with 5 three pointers at Ball State and set a pulled down a career-best nine rebounds at Kent State.
• The junior had the best game of her career at Eastern Michigan on 1/9/19 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.
• 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.
• Hall competed at the 2019 Pan American Women's Basketball Games in Lima, Peru as a member of the Canadian National Team.
RECHARGING THE BATTERIES
• Sophomore forward Adebola Adeyeye has taken her game to another level to start conference play as she was third in the conference in rebounding at 8.6 rebounds per contest in MAC play.
• The Brampton, Ontario native recorded her first career-double double with career-highs in points (16) and rebounds (14) in a win at Miami (OH) on January 4th and added another double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds against Eastern Michigan.
SUMMER TIME IN BUFFALO
• Senior forward Summer Hemphill had surgery on her knee in January and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
• The Preseason All-MAC East Division Team selection and Preseason Big 4 Player of the Year is currently 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.
YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
• 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.
UNITED NATIONS
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
CLEANING THE GLASS
• One of the keys to the Bulls success this season is their ability to rebound the basketball. The Bulls lead the MAC and are currently ranked 20th in the nation in rebounds per game (42.5).
• The Bulls also limit their opponents to just 38.4 rebounds per game and are 15-5 this season when winning the rebounding battle.
CREATING SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
• The Bulls have continued to find success on the offensive glass this season as they are averaging a MAC-best 15.6 offensive rebounds/game, while averaging 13.5 second chance points off those offensive boards.
• Buffalo has grabbed at least 10 offensive rebounds in 28 of 30 games this season, including a season-high 23 against CCSU (11/5) and Akron (2/19).
CLOSING TIME
• The Bulls have been extremely effective closing out games over the last five years, winning 119 of their last 125 games (.952) when leading or tied with five minutes left, including 86 of their last 90.
TURNING THEM OVER
• 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.
• The Buffalo defense has forced an average of 17.3 turnovers/game this season.
• The Bulls are also averaging 8.6 steals/game while netting an average of 15.2 points/game off of opponent's turnovers.
PAINTING A NEW PICTURE
• The Bulls are finding success in the paint once again this season as they have won or tied the battle in the paint in 25 of 30 contests this season, going 18-7 in those games. This season, UB is currently averaging 32.6 points/game in the paint.
• 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.
RUNNING WITH THE BULLS
• Buffalo has recorded eight or more fast break points in 23 of 30 games this season, outscoring opponents 364-246 in transition.
• Over the past three plus seasons, the Bulls have won or tied the fast break category in 107 of 130 games, including 82 of their 93 wins.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Since Legette-Jack took over before the 2012-13 season, the Bulls hold a 76-34 (.690) record at home across 110 contests.
• Over the last two plus seasons, UB is 29-8 at Alumni Arena. The 2017-18 team finished a perfect 12-0 at home overall and 9-0 in conference play.
• On the flip side, Legette-Jack's Bulls are 86-63 (.577) on the road or on neutral ground during her tenure.
80 PLUS
• 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.
• The Bulls are tough to beat when they score 80+ points as they own a 35-6 record over the past two plus years when doing so.
• The Bulls posted 80+ performances on 14 occasions last season, coming away with victories in 12 of those games.
60 OR LESS
• Over the last three plus seasons, UB is 69-7 when holding their opponents to under 70 points and 48-0 when holding opponents to 59 points or less.
• The stingy Buffalo defense held a total of 11 opponents under 60 points this season, going a perfect 11-0 in those contests.
PRESEASON PRAISE
• The Bulls were picked to finish second in the MAC East in the preseason poll as voted on by the conference coaches.
• Buffalo earned 56 total points behind Ohio who notched 12 first place votes and 72 total points.
• 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.
• The Bulls also placed Summer Hemphill on the preseason All-MAC East Division Team for the second consecutive year.
ANOTHER 20+ WIN SEASON
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
QUARTET OF CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2019-20 SEASON
• 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.
• After a team vote, the Bulls named Hanna Hall, Theresa Onwuka, Adebola Adeyeye and Summer Hemphill as team captains.
• The four captains have been a part of three straight 20+ win seasons.
March 11, 2020
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
Bulls on the Air –
Radio – TuneIn App
Television – ESPN+
BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo women's basketball team will face #3 Kent State in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday. It will be the third straight quarterfinal matchup between the two teams, as UB defeated Kent State 85-52 in the 2019 MAC Tournament quarterfinals. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Dave Bacon (pbp) and Jacki Windon (color) announcing and broadcast on ESPN 1520 WWKB TuneIn Radio with Matt Mattia and Paul Peck on the call.
TODAY'S STORYLINES
• The University at Buffalo women's basketball team will face #3 Kent State in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday. It will be the third straight quarterfinal matchup between the two teams as UB defeated Kent State 85-52 in the 2019 MAC Tournament quarterfinals.
• The winner of Wednesday night's game will face the winner of #2 Ball State and #7 Eastern Michigan in the semifinals on Friday afternoon.
• The Bulls are 9-2 against MAC East opponents this season.
• This is the 49th meeting between Buffalo and Kent State, with the Golden Flashes owning the 28-20 series edge. The Bulls have won the last 13 of the last 15 meetings with Kent State, most recently a 72-58 win at Alumni Arena on Senior Day.
• A win on Wednesday would be Buffalo's 20th of the season, marking five straight 20+ win seasons for the first time in program history.
• Buffalo has held 11 opponents to 59 points or less this season, going a perfect 11-0 in those games.
• Dyaisha Fair was named Freshman of the Year and was selected to the All-MAC Second Team while Theresa Onwuka was named to the All-Defensive Team and All-MAC Third Team.
• Dyaisha Fair is currently fourth in the nation in scoring at 21.3 points per game. She ranks sixth in the country in final points (596) and 21st in steals per game (2.72).
• The Bulls rank 20th in the nation in rebounds per game (42.5).
• Fair was named to the Dawn Staley Award watch list on February 6th, recognizing the nation's top guard. She is the only freshman of the 15 players on the list.
#6 BUFFALO TO TAKE ON #3 KENT STATE IN CLEVELAND
• Winners of six straight, the University at Buffalo women's basketball team will continue play at the 2020 MAC Tournament on Wednesday evening against #3 Kent State.
• The Bulls finished the regular season with an 18-11 overall record and 9-9 MAC mark.
• These two squads met just days ago in Buffalo, with the Bulls coming away with a 72-58 victory on Senior Day to complete the regular season series sweep.
• Wednesday's game will air on ESPN+ and will be the last game of the day, starting 30 minutes after the conclusion of game three.
• You can also listen in on the radio on ESPN1520 as Matt Mattia and Paul Peck will get you started for action with the UB women's basketball pregame show starting around 7 pm.
FAMILIAR FOE
• The Kent State Golden Flashes enter Saturday's contest against the Bulls with a 19-11 overall, 11-7 MAC record on the year.
• Buffalo swept the regular season series with the Golden Flashes.
• The Bulls and Golden Flashes will meet in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals for the third straight year as UB defeated Kent State 85-52 on March 13, 2019.
• The Golden Flashes are led offensively by Asiah Dingle who is averaging 13.1 points per game. Nila Blackford is leading the team in rebounding at 7.8 boards per contest while scoring 12.3 points per game. Katie Shumate (12.4), Megan Carter (11.9), and Lindsey Thall (11.8) also average in double figures.
• Thall is the MAC's top shot blocker (2.2 bpg) and only NCAA Division 1 player with 50 three-pointers and 50 blocks this season.
• Kent State is the only team in the conference to have five players scoring in double-figures for the season.
• The Golden Flashes lead the MAC and rank 30th in the nation in free throws made at 426 and are third in the league and 41st nationally in free throws attempted (598).
• Todd Starkey is in his fourth season as head coach of the Golden Flashes. Already the third-winningest coach in school history, he has led the Golden Flashes to two Postseason WNIT appearances and one Mid-American Conference East Division title.
TWO BULLS EARN ALL-MAC POSTSEASON HONORS
• The Mid-American Conference announced their postseason awards on Tuesday, with Dyaisha Fair named Freshman of the Year and All-MAC Second Team, while Theresa Onwuka earned All-Defensive Team and All-MAC Third Team honors.
• Fair is the first Buffalo rookie to earn Freshman of the Year honors since Heather Turner (2004-05) and the first Bull to be named to the All-Freshman team since Summer Hemphill in 2017.
• Fair has put together one of the best rookie campaigns in program history as she currently ranks fourth in the nation in scoring at 21.5 points per game, while also averaging 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals per contest. The Rochester, NY native has scored in double figures 27 times, surpassing the 20-point mark 20 times, while recording two double-doubles. She has also led the Bulls in scoring 22 of their 30 games.
• Onwuka earns All-Defensive and Third Team honors for the first time in her Buffalo career. The senior is having the best season of her career, averaging career highs in minutes (35.2), points (14.9), rebounds (7.4) and steals (2.5) while making 49.4% of her field goal attempts and 70.8% of her free throw attempts.
CLEVELAND IS THE REASON
• This marks the sixth straight season the Bulls have made it to the Mid-American Conference quarterfinals in Cleveland.
• The Bulls enter this MAC Tournament as the #6 seed this season with a 19-11 overall record and 9-9 MAC mark.
• Buffalo enters this conference tournament as the defending champions after defeating Ohio 77-61 in the finals a year ago.
ROC NATION
• Freshman Dyaisha Fair has made an immediate impact in her first season in the blue and white as she is averaging 21.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals in 29 games.
• She is currently fourth in the nation in scoring average (21.5 ppg), sixth in final points (624), 21st in steals per game (2.7) and 23rd in total steals (79).
• Fair was named to the Dawn Staley Award watch list, recognizing the nation's top guard, on February 6. She is the only freshman of the 15 players on the list.
• On January 6, Fair was named to the Her Hoop Stats Mid-Major Player of the Year Mid-Season Watch List, recognizing the nation's best mid-major player in women's college basketball.
• Fair has been named MAC East Player of the Week four times this season.
• At Niagara, Fair became the first Buffalo freshman to score 30+ points in a game since 2000, with 31 points.
• 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.
• 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.
ONWUKA TURNING HEADS IN STARTING ROLE
• Senior guard Theresa Onwuka has embraced her role as a senior captain, leading the Bulls on both ends of the floor.
• Onwuka is enjoying a strong senior season as she ranks second on the team in scoring (14.9 ppg) while pulling down a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game and swiping 2.5 steals per contest while shooting 49.4% from the floor.
• Onwuka scored her 1,000th career point in the fourth quarter of UB's win over Kent State on Saturday, becoming the 26th 1,000 point scorer in program history.
• The senior is currently third in the MAC and 28th in the nation in total steals (74) and ranks 30th nationally in steals per game at 2.5.
• Onwuka was one steal away from the school record and a triple double as she scored 17 points while adding 11 rebounds and nine steals against Central Michigan on January 29th.
• Onwuka set a career-high in three straight games to start the season, capped by a 30 point performance in a win over Canisius.
• 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.
• 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.
HALL PASS
• 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.
• The Hamilton, ON native is averaging 8.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 29 starts this season.
• Hall set a career-high with nine assists at San Jose State, tied a career-high with 5 three pointers at Ball State and set a pulled down a career-best nine rebounds at Kent State.
• The junior had the best game of her career at Eastern Michigan on 1/9/19 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.
• 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.
• Hall competed at the 2019 Pan American Women's Basketball Games in Lima, Peru as a member of the Canadian National Team.
RECHARGING THE BATTERIES
• Sophomore forward Adebola Adeyeye has taken her game to another level to start conference play as she was third in the conference in rebounding at 8.6 rebounds per contest in MAC play.
• The Brampton, Ontario native recorded her first career-double double with career-highs in points (16) and rebounds (14) in a win at Miami (OH) on January 4th and added another double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds against Eastern Michigan.
SUMMER TIME IN BUFFALO
• Senior forward Summer Hemphill had surgery on her knee in January and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
• The Preseason All-MAC East Division Team selection and Preseason Big 4 Player of the Year is currently 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.
YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
• 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.
UNITED NATIONS
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
CLEANING THE GLASS
• One of the keys to the Bulls success this season is their ability to rebound the basketball. The Bulls lead the MAC and are currently ranked 20th in the nation in rebounds per game (42.5).
• The Bulls also limit their opponents to just 38.4 rebounds per game and are 15-5 this season when winning the rebounding battle.
CREATING SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
• The Bulls have continued to find success on the offensive glass this season as they are averaging a MAC-best 15.6 offensive rebounds/game, while averaging 13.5 second chance points off those offensive boards.
• Buffalo has grabbed at least 10 offensive rebounds in 28 of 30 games this season, including a season-high 23 against CCSU (11/5) and Akron (2/19).
CLOSING TIME
• The Bulls have been extremely effective closing out games over the last five years, winning 119 of their last 125 games (.952) when leading or tied with five minutes left, including 86 of their last 90.
TURNING THEM OVER
• 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.
• The Buffalo defense has forced an average of 17.3 turnovers/game this season.
• The Bulls are also averaging 8.6 steals/game while netting an average of 15.2 points/game off of opponent's turnovers.
PAINTING A NEW PICTURE
• The Bulls are finding success in the paint once again this season as they have won or tied the battle in the paint in 25 of 30 contests this season, going 18-7 in those games. This season, UB is currently averaging 32.6 points/game in the paint.
• 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.
RUNNING WITH THE BULLS
• Buffalo has recorded eight or more fast break points in 23 of 30 games this season, outscoring opponents 364-246 in transition.
• Over the past three plus seasons, the Bulls have won or tied the fast break category in 107 of 130 games, including 82 of their 93 wins.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Since Legette-Jack took over before the 2012-13 season, the Bulls hold a 76-34 (.690) record at home across 110 contests.
• Over the last two plus seasons, UB is 29-8 at Alumni Arena. The 2017-18 team finished a perfect 12-0 at home overall and 9-0 in conference play.
• On the flip side, Legette-Jack's Bulls are 86-63 (.577) on the road or on neutral ground during her tenure.
80 PLUS
• 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.
• The Bulls are tough to beat when they score 80+ points as they own a 35-6 record over the past two plus years when doing so.
• The Bulls posted 80+ performances on 14 occasions last season, coming away with victories in 12 of those games.
60 OR LESS
• Over the last three plus seasons, UB is 69-7 when holding their opponents to under 70 points and 48-0 when holding opponents to 59 points or less.
• The stingy Buffalo defense held a total of 11 opponents under 60 points this season, going a perfect 11-0 in those contests.
PRESEASON PRAISE
• The Bulls were picked to finish second in the MAC East in the preseason poll as voted on by the conference coaches.
• Buffalo earned 56 total points behind Ohio who notched 12 first place votes and 72 total points.
• 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.
• The Bulls also placed Summer Hemphill on the preseason All-MAC East Division Team for the second consecutive year.
ANOTHER 20+ WIN SEASON
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
QUARTET OF CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2019-20 SEASON
• 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.
• After a team vote, the Bulls named Hanna Hall, Theresa Onwuka, Adebola Adeyeye and Summer Hemphill as team captains.
• The four captains have been a part of three straight 20+ win seasons.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Center
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's BasketballWomen's Basketball Staff Walk & Talk - Summer Hemphill
Friday, May 22
Women's Basketball Staff Walk & Talk - Ella Unger
Friday, May 22
Women's Basketball Walk & Talk with the Coaches - JoAnna Smith
Friday, May 22
SPORTSCENTER TOP 10! Paula Lopez hits a half court buzzer beater to end the 3rd!
Tuesday, March 03
