Wednesday, February 24
Kent, OH
6:00 PM
at
Kent State
Bulls Travel to Kent State on Wednesday
2/23/2021 12:14:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Buffalo (12-7, 9-5 MAC) vs. Kent State (9-6, 8-4 MAC)
February 24, 2021
MAC Center – 6 p.m.
Bulls on the Air
Radio – ESPN 1520-AM WWKB/TuneIn App
Television – ESPN+
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team travels to Kent, Ohio for a clash with the Kent State Golden Flashes on Wednesday. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3 with Dave Wilson (play-by-play) and Jack Berney (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 Kent, OH for a clash with the Kent State Golden Flashes on Wednesday.
• This is the 50th meeting between Buffalo and Kent State, with the Golden Flashes owning the 29-20 series edge. Kent State defeated the Bulls 72-66 in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament last season.
• The University at Buffalo women's basketball team overcame an 11 point halftime deficit, scoring 51 points in the second half, to defeat Ball State 83-76 at Worthen Arena on Saturday afternoon.
• The MAC has four teams ranked in the Top 100 of the initial NET Rakings with Buffalo checking in at 92. Bowling Green (62), Ohio (83) and Central Michigan (91) 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.
• Dyaisha Fair is currently ranked sixth in the nation in scoring (24.8 ppg) while also ranking in the top 25 in free throws made (118) and attempted (146), assists (103), steals (56), field goals made (150), three point field goals made (53) and final points (471).
• Fair is one of four players in all of Division I to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists per game.
• 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 19 RECAP: BALL STATE
• Behind a career day from sophomore guard Dyaisha Fair, the University at Buffalo women's basketball team overcame an 11 point halftime deficit, scoring 51 second points in the second half, to defeat Ball State 83-76 at Worthen Arena on Saturday afternoon.
• Fair tied all scorers with 36 points to go along with eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Senior Hanna Hall scored 16 points, including 4-of-9 from behind the arc, and freshman Cheyenne McEvans scored in double figures for the fourth straight game with 12 points.
• Buffalo is now 42-7 over the past three-plus years and 7-1 this season when scoring 80+ points. The Bulls turned the ball over a season-low three times while scoring 17 points off of 15 Ball State turnovers and turned 16 offensive rebounds into 18 second chance points.
PREVIEWING KENT STATE
• The Kent State Golden Flahses enter Wednesday's contest with a 9-6 overall record and an 8-4 MAC mark after sweeping its weekend series at Northern Illinois.
• The Cardinals are led offensively by Nila Blackford who is averaging a double-double at 15.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Katie Schumate (11.7 ppg) and Lindsey Thall (11.5 ppg) and Clare Kelly (10.0 ppg) are also scoring in double figures.
• Blackford is one of three MAC players averaging a double-double with team-best marks of 15.7 ppg and 10.6 rpg. She has X double-doubles on the year.
• Thall is the top shot blocker (1.7 bpg) in the MAC for the third year in a row while averaging a career-best 5.7 rpg.
• Shumate (11.7 ppg) is averaging 14.5 points per game during February and is X in the MAC in three-point shooting (.417).
• Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Kent State leads the nation in free throws per game (15.64), eighth in free throws made (2,128) and 15th in free throw attempts (2,975).
• 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 two Mid-American Conference East Division title.
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 four teams ranked in the Top 100 of the latest NET Rankings.
• Bowling Green leads the MAC at No. 62, followed by Ohio (83), Central Michigan (91) and Buffalo (92).
*As of February 19, 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 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds 5.4 assists and 2.9 steals per game in 19 starts.
• Fair is currently ranked sixth in the nation in scoring (24.8 ppg). She also ranks fifth in final points (471), sixth in free throws made (118), 13th in free throws attempted (146), 10th in steals (56), 17th in field goals made (150), 18th in assists (103) and 19th in three point field goals made (53).
• She is one of just four players in all of Division I to average at least 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
• 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 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 35.6% from behind the arc in 19 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 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 40.5% from the floor through 17 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 7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest in 14 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 5.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest in 19 games this season. She has recorded two double-doubles on the season.
• Adeyeye is averaging 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 19 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 February 17.
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 315-268 career record over 18 seasons as a head coach. She is 174-105 in eight seasons at Buffalo.
CLOSING TIME
• The Bulls have been extremely effective closing out games over the last five plus years, winning 132 of their last 139 games (.950) when leading or tied with five minutes left, including 98 of their last 103 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 12th in the nation in rebounds per game (44.2).
• 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 seventh in the nation in offensive boards per game (16.6), while averaging 14.5 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 19 contests, going 9-6 in those games. UB is averaging 34.1 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 16.2 turnovers per game this season.
• The Bulls are also averaging 8.2 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 93-69 (.574) 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 42-7 record over the past three plus years when doing so.
• The Bulls have posted eight 80+ performances this season and are 7-1 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 24, 2021
MAC Center – 6 p.m.
Bulls on the Air
Radio – ESPN 1520-AM WWKB/TuneIn App
Television – ESPN+
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's basketball team travels to Kent, Ohio for a clash with the Kent State Golden Flashes on Wednesday. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3 with Dave Wilson (play-by-play) and Jack Berney (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 Kent, OH for a clash with the Kent State Golden Flashes on Wednesday.
• This is the 50th meeting between Buffalo and Kent State, with the Golden Flashes owning the 29-20 series edge. Kent State defeated the Bulls 72-66 in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament last season.
• The University at Buffalo women's basketball team overcame an 11 point halftime deficit, scoring 51 points in the second half, to defeat Ball State 83-76 at Worthen Arena on Saturday afternoon.
• The MAC has four teams ranked in the Top 100 of the initial NET Rakings with Buffalo checking in at 92. Bowling Green (62), Ohio (83) and Central Michigan (91) 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.
• Dyaisha Fair is currently ranked sixth in the nation in scoring (24.8 ppg) while also ranking in the top 25 in free throws made (118) and attempted (146), assists (103), steals (56), field goals made (150), three point field goals made (53) and final points (471).
• Fair is one of four players in all of Division I to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists per game.
• 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 19 RECAP: BALL STATE
• Behind a career day from sophomore guard Dyaisha Fair, the University at Buffalo women's basketball team overcame an 11 point halftime deficit, scoring 51 second points in the second half, to defeat Ball State 83-76 at Worthen Arena on Saturday afternoon.
• Fair tied all scorers with 36 points to go along with eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Senior Hanna Hall scored 16 points, including 4-of-9 from behind the arc, and freshman Cheyenne McEvans scored in double figures for the fourth straight game with 12 points.
• Buffalo is now 42-7 over the past three-plus years and 7-1 this season when scoring 80+ points. The Bulls turned the ball over a season-low three times while scoring 17 points off of 15 Ball State turnovers and turned 16 offensive rebounds into 18 second chance points.
PREVIEWING KENT STATE
• The Kent State Golden Flahses enter Wednesday's contest with a 9-6 overall record and an 8-4 MAC mark after sweeping its weekend series at Northern Illinois.
• The Cardinals are led offensively by Nila Blackford who is averaging a double-double at 15.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Katie Schumate (11.7 ppg) and Lindsey Thall (11.5 ppg) and Clare Kelly (10.0 ppg) are also scoring in double figures.
• Blackford is one of three MAC players averaging a double-double with team-best marks of 15.7 ppg and 10.6 rpg. She has X double-doubles on the year.
• Thall is the top shot blocker (1.7 bpg) in the MAC for the third year in a row while averaging a career-best 5.7 rpg.
• Shumate (11.7 ppg) is averaging 14.5 points per game during February and is X in the MAC in three-point shooting (.417).
• Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Kent State leads the nation in free throws per game (15.64), eighth in free throws made (2,128) and 15th in free throw attempts (2,975).
• 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 two Mid-American Conference East Division title.
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 four teams ranked in the Top 100 of the latest NET Rankings.
• Bowling Green leads the MAC at No. 62, followed by Ohio (83), Central Michigan (91) and Buffalo (92).
*As of February 19, 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 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds 5.4 assists and 2.9 steals per game in 19 starts.
• Fair is currently ranked sixth in the nation in scoring (24.8 ppg). She also ranks fifth in final points (471), sixth in free throws made (118), 13th in free throws attempted (146), 10th in steals (56), 17th in field goals made (150), 18th in assists (103) and 19th in three point field goals made (53).
• She is one of just four players in all of Division I to average at least 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
• 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 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 35.6% from behind the arc in 19 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 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 40.5% from the floor through 17 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 7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest in 14 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 5.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest in 19 games this season. She has recorded two double-doubles on the season.
• Adeyeye is averaging 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 19 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 February 17.
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 315-268 career record over 18 seasons as a head coach. She is 174-105 in eight seasons at Buffalo.
CLOSING TIME
• The Bulls have been extremely effective closing out games over the last five plus years, winning 132 of their last 139 games (.950) when leading or tied with five minutes left, including 98 of their last 103 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 12th in the nation in rebounds per game (44.2).
• 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 seventh in the nation in offensive boards per game (16.6), while averaging 14.5 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 19 contests, going 9-6 in those games. UB is averaging 34.1 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 16.2 turnovers per game this season.
• The Bulls are also averaging 8.2 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 93-69 (.574) 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 42-7 record over the past three plus years when doing so.
• The Bulls have posted eight 80+ performances this season and are 7-1 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
