Saturday, February 20
Muncie, IN
1:00 PM
at
Ball State
Bulls Travel to Muncie for Rematch with Ball State on Saturday
2/19/2021 11:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Buffalo (11-7, 8-5 MAC) vs. Ball State (11-8, 9-6 MAC)
February 20, 2021
Worthen Arena – 1 p.m.
Bulls on the Air
Radio – ESPN 1520-AM WWKB/TuneIn App
Television – ESPN3
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team travels to Muncie for a rematch with Ball State on Saturday afternoon. It is the second of back-to-back games with the Cardinals. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3 with Joel Godett (play-by-play) and Ta'Shia Phillips (color) announcing and broadcast on ESPN 1520 WWKB and TuneIn Radio with Matt Mattia on the call.
TODAY'S STORYLINES
• The University at Buffalo women's basketball team travels to Muncie for a rematch with the Ball State Cardinals on Saturday afternoon. It is the second of back-to-back games with the Cardinals.
• This is the 32nd meeting between Buffalo and Ball State, with the Cardinals owning the 18-13 series edge. The Bulls had won five straight meetings before dropping the last three meetings with the Cardinals.
• Buffalo couldn't overcome a slow start as they fell to Ball State 76-63 on Wednesday night. Dyaisha Fair led UB with 22 points while Cheyenne McEvans scored in double figures for the third straight game with 13 points. Elea Gaba and Jazmine Young had 10 points each.
• The MAC has five teams ranked in the Top 100 of the initial NET Rakings with Buffalo checking in at 97. Bowling Green (64), Ohio (83), Central Michigan (92) and Northern Illinois (96) are also in the Top 100.
• The Bulls are ranked No. 17 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. Bowling Green (No. 14), Central Michigan (No. 15), and Ohio (No. 21) join UB on the list.
• Fair is currently ranked sixth in the nation in scoring (24.2 ppg) while also ranking in the top 25 in free throws made (108) and attempted (134), assists (96), steals (52), field goals made (139), three point field goals made (49) and final points (435).
• Fair was named one of 10 finalists for the 2021 Nancy Lieberman Award, recognizing the nation's top point guard. She is the first finalist for the award in UB women's basketball history and the only nominee from a mid-major conference.
• The Rochester, NY native was also named to the late season watch list for the Dawn Staley Award and is one of 10 semifinalists for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award.
GAME 18 RECAP: BALL STATE
• The University at Buffalo women's basketball team couldn't overcome a slow start as the Bulls fell to Ball State 76-63 on Wednesday night at Alumni Arena.
• Buffalo was led by sophomore guard Dyaisha Fair who scored a game-high 22 points to go with three rebounds, six assists and four steals. Freshman Cheyenne McEvans scored in double figures for the third straight game with 13 points to go with six rebounds, three assists and two steals and Elea Gaba and Jazmine Young added 10 points each.
• The Bulls held a narrow 40-36 edge in the paint and scored 24 points off of 20 Cardinals turnovers but Ball State won the battle of the glass 44-38 and scored 20 points in transition.
PREVIEWING BALL STATE
• The Ball State Cardinals enter Saturday's contest with an 11-8 overall record and a 9-6 MAC mark after defeating Buffalo 76-63 on Wednesday.
• Ball State is 2-6 at home this season compared to 9-2 on the road.
• The Cardinals are led offensively by senior forward Oshlynn Brown who is averaging a double-double at 19.0 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. Sydney Freeman (11.9 ppg), Anna Clephane (11.3 ppg) and Thelma Dis Agustdottir (10.4 ppg) are also scoring in double figures.
• Brown leads the MAC and ranks 10th in the nation in rebounds per game (11.9) and ninth in defensive rebounds (8.5). She is ninth in double-doubles with 11 this season.
• Brown pulled down her 1,000th career rebound in the win over Miami (OH), becoming just the second player in program history to reach 1,000 points and rebounds.
• Brady Sallee is in his ninth season as head coach of the Cardinals. The Cardinals have punched their ticket straight to Cleveland in the MAC Tournament six out of eight times under Sallee and have reached the championship game twice.
UNPRECEDENTED TIMES
• Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this season is unlike any other. The pandemic, which caused the cancellation of conference and national tournaments last season, has altered the way student-athletes and coaches get ready for each game.
• It is suggested and widely implemented that, all Tier 1 individuals, which include student-athletes, coaches, and day to day support staff, must test for COVID-19 at least three times a week on non-consecutive days. At Buffalo, this test is a rapid antigen test. Should those tests come back inconclusive, a second PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test will be administered.
• In addition to the testing done by players, all travel party members must wear face coverings for the duration of any and all bus trips. Face coverings are required for the travel party at all times unless in your own room or on the playing court during the game
MACtion
• After seeing its teams find success in the NCAA Tournament in recent years the Mid-American Conference continues to gain respect on the national stage as four teams are currently ranked in the Mid-Major Top-25 - No. 14 Bowling Green, No. 15 Central Michigan, No. 17 Buffalo, No. 21 Ohio
*Receiving votes: Northern Illinois, Kent State
**As of February 16, 2021
NOTHIN BUT NET
• The MAC has five teams ranked in the Top 100 of the latest NET Rankings.
• Bowling Green leads the MAC at No. 64, followed by Ohio (83), Central Michigan (92), Northern Illinois (96) and Buffalo (97).
*As of February 17, 2021
BULLS LOOK TO REPEAT
• With last season's Mid-American Conference tournament being canceled due to COVID-19, the Bulls are the defending MAC champions. UB has its sights set on the MAC Tournament title once again this season and if they are successful, it would be the first time in program history that the Bulls win back-to-back MAC championships.
• In order to get to that point, the Bulls will play in a MAC that has a new look. The conference did away with East and West divisions and instead, all 12 programs will be seeded from top to bottom. The MAC also increased their league schedule to 20 games this year, the most UB has played in conference play since joining the league. First round campus site games have also been eliminated, with the top eight teams going straight to Cleveland.
ROC NATION
• Sophomore Dyaisha Fair is picking up right where she left off as a freshman, currently averaging 24.2 points, 6.2 rebounds 5.3 assists and 2.9 steals per game in 18 starts.
• Fair is currently ranked seventh in the nation in scoring (24.2 ppg). She also ranks eighth in free throws made (108) and free throws attempted (134), 14th in steals (52), 13th in final points (435), 20th in assists (96), 19th in three point field goals made (49) and 21st in field goals made (139).
• The Rochester, NY native became Buffalo's 26th 1,000 point scorer on Saturday at Central Michigan. Not only is she the fastest to score 1,000 career points in school history, she is also the 14th fastest in Division I women's basketball history, getting to that career mark in just 44 games.
• Fair recorded the program's first triple double in nearly 20 years on December 13th, going for 28 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over Akron. She is one of 11 players in Division I to record a triple-double this season.
• Fair was named one of 10 finalists for the 2021 Nancy Lieberman Award, which honors the nation's best point guard. She is the first finalist for the award in program history.
• Fair was also named to the late season watch list for the Dawn Staley Award and is one of 10 semifinalists for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award.
• She has received MAC Player of the Week honors three times this season.
SUMMER TIME IN BUFFALO
• Redshirt senior forward Summer Hemphill made her return to the court for the first time in over 14 months at Canisius on December 6, scoring 11 points and adding six rebounds and two steals in 11 minutes in a win over the Griffs.
• She is currently tied for seventh on UB's all-time rebounding list with 767 rebounds and is just 58 points away from becoming Buffalo's 27th 1,000 point scorer.
• Hemphill was named to the Cheryl Miller Award watch list as one of the top-20 small forwards in Division 1 college basketball.
• Hemphill was also named to the Preseason All-MAC Second Team and was a unanimous selection to the Preseason Big 4 First Team.
• Over her three plus seasons in the blue and white, Hemphill has scored in double figures 48 times, while going over the 20+ point mark four times.
HALL PASS
• Senior guard Hanna Hall is anchoring the Bulls backcourt once again this season, averaging 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 18 games this season.
• Hall set career-highs in points (24), three point field goals made (8) and field goals made (8) in the win at James Madison on November 30th.
• The Hamilton, ON competed at the 2019 Pan American Women's Basketball Games in Lima, Peru as a member of the Canadian National Team.
LIVE AND LET CHY
• Freshman guard Cheyenne McEvans has had an impressive start to her career at Buffalo.
• The Southfield, MI native is currently averaging 10.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 39.7% from the floor through 16 games this season.
• She recorded a career-high 17 points in a win at Eastern Michigan on January 6 and has recorded two double-doubles on the season.
YOUNG GUN
• Junior guard Jazmine Young has made an immediate impact for the Bulls since being granted eligibility by the NCAA Division I Council in mid-December.
• The Milwaukee, WI native is averaging 7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest in 13 games this season.
TWIN TOWERS
• Junior forwards Adebola Adeyeye and Keowa Walters are continuing to take on bigger roles this season after posting career highs in several categories last season.
• Walters is averaging 5.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest in 18 games this season. She has recorded two double-doubles on the season.
• Adeyeye is averaging 4.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in 18 games this season. She tied her career-high with 16 points at Ohio and recorded her third career double-double and first this season in a win over Akron.
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
• The Bulls are getting a mid-year boost in the backcourt with the addition of Casey Valenti-Paea who hails from Melbourne, Australia.
• A versatile guard who has great size and skill, a high basketball IQ and a relentless competitiveness, Valenti-Paea has led Australia to a gold medal in the 3x3 Asia Cup and represented Victoria at the Australian Junior National Championship several times.
• Valenti-Paea earned her first start of the season against Ball State on Wednesday.
UNITED NATIONS
• Buffalo has players from seven different countries represented on its 2020-21 roster.
• The Bulls have players who hail from Germany (Gaba, Schiffer), Great Britain (Christie), Sweden (Ojhammar), Australia (Valenti-Paea), Mali (Keita), Canada (Adeyeye, Hall, Walters) and the U.S (Elias, Fair, Hemphill, McEvans, Young).
QUEEN CITY
• Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack became Buffalo's all-time winningest coach in Buffalo women's basketball history on January 25, 2020 with UB's win at Kent State, her 156th win in Buffalo.
• Legette-Jack currently owns a 314-268 career record over 18 seasons as a head coach. She is 173-105 in eight seasons at Buffalo.
CLOSING TIME
• The Bulls have been extremely effective closing out games over the last five plus years, winning 130 of their last 138 games (.942) when leading or tied with five minutes left, including 97 of their last 102 wins.
CLEANING THE GLASS
• One of the keys to the Bulls success once again this season is their ability to rebound the basketball. The Bulls currently lead the MAC and are ranked 11th in the nation in rebounds per game (44.6).
• The Bulls also limited their opponents to 39.5 rebounds per game and are 9-2 this season when winning the rebounding battle.
CREATING SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
• The Bulls currently lead the MAC and are ranked eighth in the nation in offensive boards per game (16.7), while averaging 14.3 second chance points off of those rebounds.
• Buffalo has grabbed at least 10 offensive rebounds in 15 of 18 games this season, including a season-high 27 against St. Bonaventure on December 19th.
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 15 of 18 contests, going 9-6 in those games. UB is averaging 34.0 points/game in the paint.
TURNING THEM OVER
• Ever since taking over the program nine 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 is forcing an average of 16.5 turnovers per game this season.
• The Bulls are also averaging 8.1 steals/game while netting an average of 17.5 points/game off of opponent's turnovers.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Since Legette-Jack took over before the 2012-13 season, the Bulls hold an 81-36 (.692) record at home across 116 contests.
• Over the last three plus seasons, UB is 34-10 at Alumni Arena.
• On the flip side, Legette-Jack's Bulls are 92-69 (.571) 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 41-7 record over the past three plus years when doing so.
• The Bulls have posted six 80+ performances this season and are 6-1 in those games.
70 OR LESS
• Over the last four plus seasons, UB is 77-9 when holding their opponents to under 70 points and 51-0 when holding opponents to 59 points or less.
• The stingy Buffalo defense held three opponents under 60 points this season, going a perfect 3-0 in those contests.
PRESEASON PRAISE
• With the elimination of divisions for the 2020-21 season, the 12 teams were ranked from top to bottom led by Central Michigan who received 10 first place votes and 142 points. The Bulls were picked to finish fourth with 108 points behind Ohio (128) and Ball State (119).
• Buffalo also earned one vote to win the MAC Tournament Championship, while Ohio earned 10 votes and Northern Illinois garnered one vote.
• Dyaisha Fair earned a spot on the preseason All-MAC First Team for the first time in her career while redshirt senior Summer Hemphill landed on the All-MAC Second Team.
BULLS BREAKDOWN
• The Bulls return nine letterwinners and four starters from last year's squad that posted a 19-12 overall record and a 9-9 conference mark.
• The Bulls, who finished third in the MAC East and sixth overall, made their sixth straight appearance in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals, defeating Miami (OH) in the first round before falling to Kent State in the quarterfinals.
• The Bulls return 71% of scoring, 63% of rebounding and 69% of minutes played from 2019-20.
ANOTHER 19+ WIN SEASON
• The wins continue to pile up for the Bulls under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack as they produced their fifth straight 19+ win campaign in 2019-20.
• Buffalo has now won 17+ games in seven straight seasons, a first for the Bulls since joining the MAC in 1998.
• Buffalo posted 10 victories last season by double-digits, including a season-high 18 point victory, 73-55, over American on December 1, 2019.
TRIO OF CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2020-21 SEASON
• Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack announced three captains for the 2020-21 season.
• After a team vote, the Bulls named Summer Hemphill, Hanna Hall and Dyaisha Fair as team captains.
• The three captains have been a part of three straight 19+ win seasons.
February 20, 2021
Worthen Arena – 1 p.m.
Bulls on the Air
Radio – ESPN 1520-AM WWKB/TuneIn App
Television – ESPN3
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team travels to Muncie for a rematch with Ball State on Saturday afternoon. It is the second of back-to-back games with the Cardinals. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3 with Joel Godett (play-by-play) and Ta'Shia Phillips (color) announcing and broadcast on ESPN 1520 WWKB and TuneIn Radio with Matt Mattia on the call.
TODAY'S STORYLINES
• The University at Buffalo women's basketball team travels to Muncie for a rematch with the Ball State Cardinals on Saturday afternoon. It is the second of back-to-back games with the Cardinals.
• This is the 32nd meeting between Buffalo and Ball State, with the Cardinals owning the 18-13 series edge. The Bulls had won five straight meetings before dropping the last three meetings with the Cardinals.
• Buffalo couldn't overcome a slow start as they fell to Ball State 76-63 on Wednesday night. Dyaisha Fair led UB with 22 points while Cheyenne McEvans scored in double figures for the third straight game with 13 points. Elea Gaba and Jazmine Young had 10 points each.
• The MAC has five teams ranked in the Top 100 of the initial NET Rakings with Buffalo checking in at 97. Bowling Green (64), Ohio (83), Central Michigan (92) and Northern Illinois (96) are also in the Top 100.
• The Bulls are ranked No. 17 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. Bowling Green (No. 14), Central Michigan (No. 15), and Ohio (No. 21) join UB on the list.
• Fair is currently ranked sixth in the nation in scoring (24.2 ppg) while also ranking in the top 25 in free throws made (108) and attempted (134), assists (96), steals (52), field goals made (139), three point field goals made (49) and final points (435).
• Fair was named one of 10 finalists for the 2021 Nancy Lieberman Award, recognizing the nation's top point guard. She is the first finalist for the award in UB women's basketball history and the only nominee from a mid-major conference.
• The Rochester, NY native was also named to the late season watch list for the Dawn Staley Award and is one of 10 semifinalists for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award.
GAME 18 RECAP: BALL STATE
• The University at Buffalo women's basketball team couldn't overcome a slow start as the Bulls fell to Ball State 76-63 on Wednesday night at Alumni Arena.
• Buffalo was led by sophomore guard Dyaisha Fair who scored a game-high 22 points to go with three rebounds, six assists and four steals. Freshman Cheyenne McEvans scored in double figures for the third straight game with 13 points to go with six rebounds, three assists and two steals and Elea Gaba and Jazmine Young added 10 points each.
• The Bulls held a narrow 40-36 edge in the paint and scored 24 points off of 20 Cardinals turnovers but Ball State won the battle of the glass 44-38 and scored 20 points in transition.
PREVIEWING BALL STATE
• The Ball State Cardinals enter Saturday's contest with an 11-8 overall record and a 9-6 MAC mark after defeating Buffalo 76-63 on Wednesday.
• Ball State is 2-6 at home this season compared to 9-2 on the road.
• The Cardinals are led offensively by senior forward Oshlynn Brown who is averaging a double-double at 19.0 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. Sydney Freeman (11.9 ppg), Anna Clephane (11.3 ppg) and Thelma Dis Agustdottir (10.4 ppg) are also scoring in double figures.
• Brown leads the MAC and ranks 10th in the nation in rebounds per game (11.9) and ninth in defensive rebounds (8.5). She is ninth in double-doubles with 11 this season.
• Brown pulled down her 1,000th career rebound in the win over Miami (OH), becoming just the second player in program history to reach 1,000 points and rebounds.
• Brady Sallee is in his ninth season as head coach of the Cardinals. The Cardinals have punched their ticket straight to Cleveland in the MAC Tournament six out of eight times under Sallee and have reached the championship game twice.
UNPRECEDENTED TIMES
• Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this season is unlike any other. The pandemic, which caused the cancellation of conference and national tournaments last season, has altered the way student-athletes and coaches get ready for each game.
• It is suggested and widely implemented that, all Tier 1 individuals, which include student-athletes, coaches, and day to day support staff, must test for COVID-19 at least three times a week on non-consecutive days. At Buffalo, this test is a rapid antigen test. Should those tests come back inconclusive, a second PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test will be administered.
• In addition to the testing done by players, all travel party members must wear face coverings for the duration of any and all bus trips. Face coverings are required for the travel party at all times unless in your own room or on the playing court during the game
MACtion
• After seeing its teams find success in the NCAA Tournament in recent years the Mid-American Conference continues to gain respect on the national stage as four teams are currently ranked in the Mid-Major Top-25 - No. 14 Bowling Green, No. 15 Central Michigan, No. 17 Buffalo, No. 21 Ohio
*Receiving votes: Northern Illinois, Kent State
**As of February 16, 2021
NOTHIN BUT NET
• The MAC has five teams ranked in the Top 100 of the latest NET Rankings.
• Bowling Green leads the MAC at No. 64, followed by Ohio (83), Central Michigan (92), Northern Illinois (96) and Buffalo (97).
*As of February 17, 2021
BULLS LOOK TO REPEAT
• With last season's Mid-American Conference tournament being canceled due to COVID-19, the Bulls are the defending MAC champions. UB has its sights set on the MAC Tournament title once again this season and if they are successful, it would be the first time in program history that the Bulls win back-to-back MAC championships.
• In order to get to that point, the Bulls will play in a MAC that has a new look. The conference did away with East and West divisions and instead, all 12 programs will be seeded from top to bottom. The MAC also increased their league schedule to 20 games this year, the most UB has played in conference play since joining the league. First round campus site games have also been eliminated, with the top eight teams going straight to Cleveland.
ROC NATION
• Sophomore Dyaisha Fair is picking up right where she left off as a freshman, currently averaging 24.2 points, 6.2 rebounds 5.3 assists and 2.9 steals per game in 18 starts.
• Fair is currently ranked seventh in the nation in scoring (24.2 ppg). She also ranks eighth in free throws made (108) and free throws attempted (134), 14th in steals (52), 13th in final points (435), 20th in assists (96), 19th in three point field goals made (49) and 21st in field goals made (139).
• The Rochester, NY native became Buffalo's 26th 1,000 point scorer on Saturday at Central Michigan. Not only is she the fastest to score 1,000 career points in school history, she is also the 14th fastest in Division I women's basketball history, getting to that career mark in just 44 games.
• Fair recorded the program's first triple double in nearly 20 years on December 13th, going for 28 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over Akron. She is one of 11 players in Division I to record a triple-double this season.
• Fair was named one of 10 finalists for the 2021 Nancy Lieberman Award, which honors the nation's best point guard. She is the first finalist for the award in program history.
• Fair was also named to the late season watch list for the Dawn Staley Award and is one of 10 semifinalists for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award.
• She has received MAC Player of the Week honors three times this season.
SUMMER TIME IN BUFFALO
• Redshirt senior forward Summer Hemphill made her return to the court for the first time in over 14 months at Canisius on December 6, scoring 11 points and adding six rebounds and two steals in 11 minutes in a win over the Griffs.
• She is currently tied for seventh on UB's all-time rebounding list with 767 rebounds and is just 58 points away from becoming Buffalo's 27th 1,000 point scorer.
• Hemphill was named to the Cheryl Miller Award watch list as one of the top-20 small forwards in Division 1 college basketball.
• Hemphill was also named to the Preseason All-MAC Second Team and was a unanimous selection to the Preseason Big 4 First Team.
• Over her three plus seasons in the blue and white, Hemphill has scored in double figures 48 times, while going over the 20+ point mark four times.
HALL PASS
• Senior guard Hanna Hall is anchoring the Bulls backcourt once again this season, averaging 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 18 games this season.
• Hall set career-highs in points (24), three point field goals made (8) and field goals made (8) in the win at James Madison on November 30th.
• The Hamilton, ON competed at the 2019 Pan American Women's Basketball Games in Lima, Peru as a member of the Canadian National Team.
LIVE AND LET CHY
• Freshman guard Cheyenne McEvans has had an impressive start to her career at Buffalo.
• The Southfield, MI native is currently averaging 10.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 39.7% from the floor through 16 games this season.
• She recorded a career-high 17 points in a win at Eastern Michigan on January 6 and has recorded two double-doubles on the season.
YOUNG GUN
• Junior guard Jazmine Young has made an immediate impact for the Bulls since being granted eligibility by the NCAA Division I Council in mid-December.
• The Milwaukee, WI native is averaging 7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest in 13 games this season.
TWIN TOWERS
• Junior forwards Adebola Adeyeye and Keowa Walters are continuing to take on bigger roles this season after posting career highs in several categories last season.
• Walters is averaging 5.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest in 18 games this season. She has recorded two double-doubles on the season.
• Adeyeye is averaging 4.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in 18 games this season. She tied her career-high with 16 points at Ohio and recorded her third career double-double and first this season in a win over Akron.
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
• The Bulls are getting a mid-year boost in the backcourt with the addition of Casey Valenti-Paea who hails from Melbourne, Australia.
• A versatile guard who has great size and skill, a high basketball IQ and a relentless competitiveness, Valenti-Paea has led Australia to a gold medal in the 3x3 Asia Cup and represented Victoria at the Australian Junior National Championship several times.
• Valenti-Paea earned her first start of the season against Ball State on Wednesday.
UNITED NATIONS
• Buffalo has players from seven different countries represented on its 2020-21 roster.
• The Bulls have players who hail from Germany (Gaba, Schiffer), Great Britain (Christie), Sweden (Ojhammar), Australia (Valenti-Paea), Mali (Keita), Canada (Adeyeye, Hall, Walters) and the U.S (Elias, Fair, Hemphill, McEvans, Young).
QUEEN CITY
• Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack became Buffalo's all-time winningest coach in Buffalo women's basketball history on January 25, 2020 with UB's win at Kent State, her 156th win in Buffalo.
• Legette-Jack currently owns a 314-268 career record over 18 seasons as a head coach. She is 173-105 in eight seasons at Buffalo.
CLOSING TIME
• The Bulls have been extremely effective closing out games over the last five plus years, winning 130 of their last 138 games (.942) when leading or tied with five minutes left, including 97 of their last 102 wins.
CLEANING THE GLASS
• One of the keys to the Bulls success once again this season is their ability to rebound the basketball. The Bulls currently lead the MAC and are ranked 11th in the nation in rebounds per game (44.6).
• The Bulls also limited their opponents to 39.5 rebounds per game and are 9-2 this season when winning the rebounding battle.
CREATING SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
• The Bulls currently lead the MAC and are ranked eighth in the nation in offensive boards per game (16.7), while averaging 14.3 second chance points off of those rebounds.
• Buffalo has grabbed at least 10 offensive rebounds in 15 of 18 games this season, including a season-high 27 against St. Bonaventure on December 19th.
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 15 of 18 contests, going 9-6 in those games. UB is averaging 34.0 points/game in the paint.
TURNING THEM OVER
• Ever since taking over the program nine 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 is forcing an average of 16.5 turnovers per game this season.
• The Bulls are also averaging 8.1 steals/game while netting an average of 17.5 points/game off of opponent's turnovers.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Since Legette-Jack took over before the 2012-13 season, the Bulls hold an 81-36 (.692) record at home across 116 contests.
• Over the last three plus seasons, UB is 34-10 at Alumni Arena.
• On the flip side, Legette-Jack's Bulls are 92-69 (.571) 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 41-7 record over the past three plus years when doing so.
• The Bulls have posted six 80+ performances this season and are 6-1 in those games.
70 OR LESS
• Over the last four plus seasons, UB is 77-9 when holding their opponents to under 70 points and 51-0 when holding opponents to 59 points or less.
• The stingy Buffalo defense held three opponents under 60 points this season, going a perfect 3-0 in those contests.
PRESEASON PRAISE
• With the elimination of divisions for the 2020-21 season, the 12 teams were ranked from top to bottom led by Central Michigan who received 10 first place votes and 142 points. The Bulls were picked to finish fourth with 108 points behind Ohio (128) and Ball State (119).
• Buffalo also earned one vote to win the MAC Tournament Championship, while Ohio earned 10 votes and Northern Illinois garnered one vote.
• Dyaisha Fair earned a spot on the preseason All-MAC First Team for the first time in her career while redshirt senior Summer Hemphill landed on the All-MAC Second Team.
BULLS BREAKDOWN
• The Bulls return nine letterwinners and four starters from last year's squad that posted a 19-12 overall record and a 9-9 conference mark.
• The Bulls, who finished third in the MAC East and sixth overall, made their sixth straight appearance in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals, defeating Miami (OH) in the first round before falling to Kent State in the quarterfinals.
• The Bulls return 71% of scoring, 63% of rebounding and 69% of minutes played from 2019-20.
ANOTHER 19+ WIN SEASON
• The wins continue to pile up for the Bulls under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack as they produced their fifth straight 19+ win campaign in 2019-20.
• Buffalo has now won 17+ games in seven straight seasons, a first for the Bulls since joining the MAC in 1998.
• Buffalo posted 10 victories last season by double-digits, including a season-high 18 point victory, 73-55, over American on December 1, 2019.
TRIO OF CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2020-21 SEASON
• Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack announced three captains for the 2020-21 season.
• After a team vote, the Bulls named Summer Hemphill, Hanna Hall and Dyaisha Fair as team captains.
• The three captains have been a part of three straight 19+ win seasons.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball1-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
1-on-1 with new head women's basketball coach Kristen Sharkey | Playstyle
Thursday, May 29
