Saturday, March 6
Bowling Green, OH
2:00 PM
at
Bowling Green
Bulls Close Out Regular Season at Bowling Green on Saturday
3/5/2021 11:03:00β―AM | Women's Basketball
Buffalo (13-8, 10-6 MAC) vs. Bowling Green (18-4, 14-3 MAC)
March 6, 2021
Stroh Center β 2 p.m.
Bulls on the Air
Radio β ESPN 1520-AM WWKB/TuneIn App
Television β ESPN+
BUFFALO, NY β The University at Buffalo women's basketball team concludes the regular season at Bowling Green on Saturday afternoon. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Brad Woznicki (play-by-play) and Brandon Loe (color) announcing and broadcast on ESPN 1520 WWKB and TuneIn Radio with Matt Mattia on the call.
TODAY'S STORYLINES
β’ The University at Buffalo women's basketball team concludes the regular season at Bowling Green on Saturday afternoon.
β’ This is the 45th meeting between Buffalo and Bowling Green, with the Falcons owning the 26-18 series edge. The Bulls have won 10 of the last 12 meetings with the Falcons, most recently an 82-74 win at Alumni Arena on January 13.
β’ Four Bulls scored in double figures as Buffalo earned a hard-fought 75-70 win over Miami (OH) on Senior Day at Alumni Arena on Wednesday. Dyaisha Fair had a game-high 21 points and Cheyenne McEvans scored a career-high 20 points.
β’ UB has now won 10 or more MAC games in four of the last five seasons.
β’ The MAC has four teams ranked in the Top 100 of the NET Rankings with Buffalo checking in at 96. Bowling Green (60), Ohio (86) and Central Michigan (94) are also in the Top 100.
β’ Fair is ranked sixth in the nation in scoring (24.5 ppg) while also ranking in the top 25 in free throws made (126) and attempted (157), assists (111), steals (59), field goals made (167) and final points (515).
β’ Fair is one of five players in all of Division I to average at least 20.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 5.0 apg. Miami's Peyton Scott is also on that short list.
β’ 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.
β’ 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 21 RECAP: MIAMI (OH)
β’ Four Bulls scored in double figures as the University at Buffalo women's basketball team earned a hard-fought 75-70 win over Miami (OH) on Senior Day at Alumni Arena on Wednesday.
β’ UB has now recorded 10 or more MAC wins in four of the last five seasons.
β’ Sophomore guard Dyaisha Fair led Buffalo with a game-high 21 points to go along with four rebounds and seven assists. Freshman Cheyenne McEvans narrowly missed out on a double-double, recording a career-high 20 points to go with nine rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocks.
β’ Junior Adebola Adeyeye also scored in double figures with 12 points and seven rebounds and redshirt senior forward Summer Hemphill recorded her first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds while dishing out three assists.
β’ Buffalo scored a season-high 52 points in the paint while also holding a 44-32 advantage on the glass, including 13 offensive boards which UB turned into 12 second chance points. The Bulls recorded nine steals, scoring 17 fastbreak points off those picks, while also scoring 11 points off of 14 RedHawks turnovers.
Β
PREVIEWING BOWLING GREEN
β’ The Bowling Green Falcons enter Saturday's contest with an 18-4 overall record and a 14-3 MAC mark after defeating Kent State 82-65 on Wednesday.
β’ BGSU has a 10-1 record at the Stroh Center this season.
β’ BGSU secured the 15th MAC regular season title in program history and the #1 seed in the MAC Tournament.
β’ The Falcons are led offensively by freshman guard Lexi Fleming who is averaging 17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Kadie Hempfling (12.1 ppg) and Elissa Brett (11.1 ppg) are also scoring in double figures.
β’ Fleming is one of just 25 players across the nation to be named a semifinalist for the World Exposure Report NCAA Division-I Freshman of the Year.
β’ Hempfling is just the second player in program history to record at least 500 rebounds and 300 assists in her career.
β’ The Falcons have turned defense into offense this season as they rank 12th in the nation in total steals and 17th in steals per game, leading the MAC in both categories. They also turn those steals into points as they have won the points off turnovers category in 21 of 22 games this season.
β’ Robyn Fralick is in her third season as head coach of the BGSU women's basketball team in 2020-21. She becomes the fifth different head coach to lead the program to a conference regular-season crown.
Β
UNPRECEDENTED TIMES
β’ 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.
β’ 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.
β’ 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
Β
NOTHIN BUT NET
β’ The MAC has four teams ranked in the Top 100 of the latest NET Rankings.
β’ Bowling Green leads the MAC at No. 60, followed by Ohio (86), Central Michigan (94) and Buffalo (96).
*As of March 4, 2021
Β
BULLS LOOK TO REPEAT
β’ 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.
β’ 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.
Β
ROC NATION
β’ Sophomore Dyaisha Fair is putting together a stellar sophomore campaign, currently averaging 24.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.8 steals per game in 21 starts.
β’ Fair is currently ranked sixth in the nation in scoring (24.5 ppg). She also ranks sixth in free throws made (126), 12th in free throws attempted (157), seventh in final points (515), 15th in steals (59), 18th in field goals made (167), 23rd in assists (111) and 26th in three point field goals made (55).
β’ She is one of just five players in all of Division I to average at least 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
β’ 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.
β’ 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 12 players in Division I to record a triple-double this season.
β’ 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.
β’ 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.
β’ She has received MAC Player of the Week honors four times this season.
Β
SUMMER TIME IN BUFFALO
β’ After missing over 14 months due to injury, redshirt senior forward Summer Hemphill is back on the floor for the Bulls, currently averaging 8.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in four games this season.
β’ She recorded her first double-double of the season, and 24th of her career, in the win over Miami (OH).
β’ The Buffalo native is currently seventh on UB's all-time rebounding list with 781 rebounds and is just 48 points away from becoming Buffalo's 27th 1,000 point scorer.
β’ Hemphill was named to the Cheryl Miller Award watch list as one of the top-20 small forwards in Division 1 college basketball.
β’ 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.
Β
HALL PASS
β’ Senior guard Hanna Hall is anchoring the Bulls backcourt once again this season, averaging 7.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 34.3% from behind the arc in 21 games this season.
β’ 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.
β’ The Hamilton, ON competed at the 2019 Pan American Women's Basketball Games in Lima, Peru as a member of the Canadian National Team.
Β
LIVE AND LET CHY
β’ Freshman guard Cheyenne McEvans has had an impressive start to her career at Buffalo.
β’ The Southfield, MI native is currently averaging 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 41.7% from the floor through 19 games this season.
β’ She recorded a career-high 20 points in the win over Miami (OH) on March 3 and has recorded two double-doubles on the season.
Β
YOUNG GUN
β’ 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.
β’ The Milwaukee, WI native is averaging 6.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest in 16 games this season.
Β
TWIN TOWERS
β’ 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.
β’ Walters is averaging 5.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest in 21 games this season. She scored a season-high 13 points at Kent State and has recorded two double-doubles on the season.
β’ Adeyeye is averaging 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 21 games this season. She tied her career-high with 16 points at Ohio and recorded her third career double-double in a win over Akron.
Β
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
β’ The Bulls are getting a mid-year boost in the backcourt with the addition of Casey Valenti-Paea who hails from Melbourne, Australia.
β’ 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.
β’ Valenti-Paea earned her first start of the season against Ball State on February 17.
Β
UNITED NATIONS
β’ Buffalo has players from six different countries represented on its 2020-21 roster.
β’ The Bulls have players who hail from Germany (Gaba, Schiffer), Great Britain (Christie), Australia (Valenti-Paea), Mali (Keita), Canada (Adeyeye, Hall, Walters) and the U.S (Elias, Fair, Hemphill, McEvans, Young).
Β
QUEEN CITY
β’ 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.
β’ Legette-Jack currently owns a 316-269 career record over 18 seasons as a head coach. She is 175-106 in eight seasons at Buffalo.
Β
CLOSING TIME
β’ The Bulls have been extremely effective closing out games over the last five plus years, winning 133 of their last 141 games (.943) when leading or tied with five minutes left, including 99 of their last 104 wins.
Β
CLEANING THE GLASS
β’ 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 (43.9).
β’ The Bulls also limited their opponents to 38.8 rebounds per game and are 10-3 this season when winning the rebounding battle.
Β
CREATING SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
β’ The Bulls currently lead the MAC and are ranked 10th in the nation in offensive boards per game (16.2), while averaging 14.1 second chance points off of those rebounds.
β’ Buffalo has grabbed at least 10 offensive rebounds in 18 of 21 games this season, including a season-high 27 against St. Bonaventure on December 19th.
Β
PAINTING A NEW PICTURE
β’ The Bulls are finding success in the paint once again this season as they have won or tied the battle in the paint in 17 of 21 contests, going 10-7 in those games. UB is averaging 35.5 points/game in the paint.
Β
TURNING THEM OVER
β’ 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.
β’ The Buffalo defense is forcing an average of 15.8 turnovers per game this season.
β’ The Bulls are also averaging 8.0 steals/game while netting an average of 16.9 points/game off of opponent's turnovers.
Β
HOME SWEET HOME
β’ Since Legette-Jack took over before the 2012-13 season, the Bulls hold an 82-36 (.695) record at home across 116 contests.
β’ Over the last three plus seasons, UB is 34-10 at Alumni Arena.
β’ On the flip side, Legette-Jack's Bulls are 93-70 (.571) on the road or on neutral ground during her tenure.
Β
80 PLUS
β’ The Bulls have always been known for their defense but over the last few seasons the UB offense has come alive, leading the Bulls to success on the national stage in back-to-back seasons.
β’ The Bulls are tough to beat when they score 80+ points as they own a 42-7 record over the past three plus years when doing so.
β’ The Bulls have posted eight 80+ performances this season and are 7-1 in those games.
Β
70 OR LESS
β’ Over the last four plus seasons, UB is 77-10 when holding their opponents to under 70 points and 51-0 when holding opponents to 59 points or less.
β’ The stingy Buffalo defense held three opponents under 60 points this season, going a perfect 3-0 in those contests.
Β
PRESEASON PRAISE
β’ 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).
β’ Buffalo also earned one vote to win the MAC Tournament Championship, while Ohio earned 10 votes and Northern Illinois garnered one vote.
β’ 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.
Β
BULLS BREAKDOWN
β’ 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.
β’ 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.
β’ The Bulls return 71% of scoring, 63% of rebounding and 69% of minutes played from 2019-20.
Β
ANOTHER 19+ WIN SEASON
β’ 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.
β’ Buffalo has now won 17+ games in seven straight seasons, a first for the Bulls since joining the MAC in 1998.
β’ Buffalo posted 10 victories last season by double-digits, including a season-high 18 point victory, 73-55, over American on December 1, 2019.
Β
TRIO OF CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2020-21 SEASON
β’ Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack announced three captains for the 2020-21 season.
β’ After a team vote, the Bulls named Summer Hemphill, Hanna Hall and Dyaisha Fair as team captains.
β’ The three captains have been a part of three straight 19+ win seasons.
Β
March 6, 2021
Stroh Center β 2 p.m.
Bulls on the Air
Radio β ESPN 1520-AM WWKB/TuneIn App
Television β ESPN+
BUFFALO, NY β The University at Buffalo women's basketball team concludes the regular season at Bowling Green on Saturday afternoon. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Brad Woznicki (play-by-play) and Brandon Loe (color) announcing and broadcast on ESPN 1520 WWKB and TuneIn Radio with Matt Mattia on the call.
TODAY'S STORYLINES
β’ The University at Buffalo women's basketball team concludes the regular season at Bowling Green on Saturday afternoon.
β’ This is the 45th meeting between Buffalo and Bowling Green, with the Falcons owning the 26-18 series edge. The Bulls have won 10 of the last 12 meetings with the Falcons, most recently an 82-74 win at Alumni Arena on January 13.
β’ Four Bulls scored in double figures as Buffalo earned a hard-fought 75-70 win over Miami (OH) on Senior Day at Alumni Arena on Wednesday. Dyaisha Fair had a game-high 21 points and Cheyenne McEvans scored a career-high 20 points.
β’ UB has now won 10 or more MAC games in four of the last five seasons.
β’ The MAC has four teams ranked in the Top 100 of the NET Rankings with Buffalo checking in at 96. Bowling Green (60), Ohio (86) and Central Michigan (94) are also in the Top 100.
β’ Fair is ranked sixth in the nation in scoring (24.5 ppg) while also ranking in the top 25 in free throws made (126) and attempted (157), assists (111), steals (59), field goals made (167) and final points (515).
β’ Fair is one of five players in all of Division I to average at least 20.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 5.0 apg. Miami's Peyton Scott is also on that short list.
β’ 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.
β’ 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 21 RECAP: MIAMI (OH)
β’ Four Bulls scored in double figures as the University at Buffalo women's basketball team earned a hard-fought 75-70 win over Miami (OH) on Senior Day at Alumni Arena on Wednesday.
β’ UB has now recorded 10 or more MAC wins in four of the last five seasons.
β’ Sophomore guard Dyaisha Fair led Buffalo with a game-high 21 points to go along with four rebounds and seven assists. Freshman Cheyenne McEvans narrowly missed out on a double-double, recording a career-high 20 points to go with nine rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocks.
β’ Junior Adebola Adeyeye also scored in double figures with 12 points and seven rebounds and redshirt senior forward Summer Hemphill recorded her first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds while dishing out three assists.
β’ Buffalo scored a season-high 52 points in the paint while also holding a 44-32 advantage on the glass, including 13 offensive boards which UB turned into 12 second chance points. The Bulls recorded nine steals, scoring 17 fastbreak points off those picks, while also scoring 11 points off of 14 RedHawks turnovers.
Β
PREVIEWING BOWLING GREEN
β’ The Bowling Green Falcons enter Saturday's contest with an 18-4 overall record and a 14-3 MAC mark after defeating Kent State 82-65 on Wednesday.
β’ BGSU has a 10-1 record at the Stroh Center this season.
β’ BGSU secured the 15th MAC regular season title in program history and the #1 seed in the MAC Tournament.
β’ The Falcons are led offensively by freshman guard Lexi Fleming who is averaging 17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Kadie Hempfling (12.1 ppg) and Elissa Brett (11.1 ppg) are also scoring in double figures.
β’ Fleming is one of just 25 players across the nation to be named a semifinalist for the World Exposure Report NCAA Division-I Freshman of the Year.
β’ Hempfling is just the second player in program history to record at least 500 rebounds and 300 assists in her career.
β’ The Falcons have turned defense into offense this season as they rank 12th in the nation in total steals and 17th in steals per game, leading the MAC in both categories. They also turn those steals into points as they have won the points off turnovers category in 21 of 22 games this season.
β’ Robyn Fralick is in her third season as head coach of the BGSU women's basketball team in 2020-21. She becomes the fifth different head coach to lead the program to a conference regular-season crown.
Β
UNPRECEDENTED TIMES
β’ 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.
β’ 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.
β’ 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
Β
NOTHIN BUT NET
β’ The MAC has four teams ranked in the Top 100 of the latest NET Rankings.
β’ Bowling Green leads the MAC at No. 60, followed by Ohio (86), Central Michigan (94) and Buffalo (96).
*As of March 4, 2021
Β
BULLS LOOK TO REPEAT
β’ 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.
β’ 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.
Β
ROC NATION
β’ Sophomore Dyaisha Fair is putting together a stellar sophomore campaign, currently averaging 24.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.8 steals per game in 21 starts.
β’ Fair is currently ranked sixth in the nation in scoring (24.5 ppg). She also ranks sixth in free throws made (126), 12th in free throws attempted (157), seventh in final points (515), 15th in steals (59), 18th in field goals made (167), 23rd in assists (111) and 26th in three point field goals made (55).
β’ She is one of just five players in all of Division I to average at least 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
β’ 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.
β’ 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 12 players in Division I to record a triple-double this season.
β’ 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.
β’ 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.
β’ She has received MAC Player of the Week honors four times this season.
Β
SUMMER TIME IN BUFFALO
β’ After missing over 14 months due to injury, redshirt senior forward Summer Hemphill is back on the floor for the Bulls, currently averaging 8.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in four games this season.
β’ She recorded her first double-double of the season, and 24th of her career, in the win over Miami (OH).
β’ The Buffalo native is currently seventh on UB's all-time rebounding list with 781 rebounds and is just 48 points away from becoming Buffalo's 27th 1,000 point scorer.
β’ Hemphill was named to the Cheryl Miller Award watch list as one of the top-20 small forwards in Division 1 college basketball.
β’ 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.
Β
HALL PASS
β’ Senior guard Hanna Hall is anchoring the Bulls backcourt once again this season, averaging 7.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 34.3% from behind the arc in 21 games this season.
β’ 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.
β’ The Hamilton, ON competed at the 2019 Pan American Women's Basketball Games in Lima, Peru as a member of the Canadian National Team.
Β
LIVE AND LET CHY
β’ Freshman guard Cheyenne McEvans has had an impressive start to her career at Buffalo.
β’ The Southfield, MI native is currently averaging 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 41.7% from the floor through 19 games this season.
β’ She recorded a career-high 20 points in the win over Miami (OH) on March 3 and has recorded two double-doubles on the season.
Β
YOUNG GUN
β’ 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.
β’ The Milwaukee, WI native is averaging 6.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest in 16 games this season.
Β
TWIN TOWERS
β’ 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.
β’ Walters is averaging 5.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest in 21 games this season. She scored a season-high 13 points at Kent State and has recorded two double-doubles on the season.
β’ Adeyeye is averaging 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 21 games this season. She tied her career-high with 16 points at Ohio and recorded her third career double-double in a win over Akron.
Β
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
β’ The Bulls are getting a mid-year boost in the backcourt with the addition of Casey Valenti-Paea who hails from Melbourne, Australia.
β’ 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.
β’ Valenti-Paea earned her first start of the season against Ball State on February 17.
Β
UNITED NATIONS
β’ Buffalo has players from six different countries represented on its 2020-21 roster.
β’ The Bulls have players who hail from Germany (Gaba, Schiffer), Great Britain (Christie), Australia (Valenti-Paea), Mali (Keita), Canada (Adeyeye, Hall, Walters) and the U.S (Elias, Fair, Hemphill, McEvans, Young).
Β
QUEEN CITY
β’ 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.
β’ Legette-Jack currently owns a 316-269 career record over 18 seasons as a head coach. She is 175-106 in eight seasons at Buffalo.
Β
CLOSING TIME
β’ The Bulls have been extremely effective closing out games over the last five plus years, winning 133 of their last 141 games (.943) when leading or tied with five minutes left, including 99 of their last 104 wins.
Β
CLEANING THE GLASS
β’ 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 (43.9).
β’ The Bulls also limited their opponents to 38.8 rebounds per game and are 10-3 this season when winning the rebounding battle.
Β
CREATING SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
β’ The Bulls currently lead the MAC and are ranked 10th in the nation in offensive boards per game (16.2), while averaging 14.1 second chance points off of those rebounds.
β’ Buffalo has grabbed at least 10 offensive rebounds in 18 of 21 games this season, including a season-high 27 against St. Bonaventure on December 19th.
Β
PAINTING A NEW PICTURE
β’ The Bulls are finding success in the paint once again this season as they have won or tied the battle in the paint in 17 of 21 contests, going 10-7 in those games. UB is averaging 35.5 points/game in the paint.
Β
TURNING THEM OVER
β’ 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.
β’ The Buffalo defense is forcing an average of 15.8 turnovers per game this season.
β’ The Bulls are also averaging 8.0 steals/game while netting an average of 16.9 points/game off of opponent's turnovers.
Β
HOME SWEET HOME
β’ Since Legette-Jack took over before the 2012-13 season, the Bulls hold an 82-36 (.695) record at home across 116 contests.
β’ Over the last three plus seasons, UB is 34-10 at Alumni Arena.
β’ On the flip side, Legette-Jack's Bulls are 93-70 (.571) on the road or on neutral ground during her tenure.
Β
80 PLUS
β’ The Bulls have always been known for their defense but over the last few seasons the UB offense has come alive, leading the Bulls to success on the national stage in back-to-back seasons.
β’ The Bulls are tough to beat when they score 80+ points as they own a 42-7 record over the past three plus years when doing so.
β’ The Bulls have posted eight 80+ performances this season and are 7-1 in those games.
Β
70 OR LESS
β’ Over the last four plus seasons, UB is 77-10 when holding their opponents to under 70 points and 51-0 when holding opponents to 59 points or less.
β’ The stingy Buffalo defense held three opponents under 60 points this season, going a perfect 3-0 in those contests.
Β
PRESEASON PRAISE
β’ 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).
β’ Buffalo also earned one vote to win the MAC Tournament Championship, while Ohio earned 10 votes and Northern Illinois garnered one vote.
β’ 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.
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BULLS BREAKDOWN
β’ 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.
β’ 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.
β’ The Bulls return 71% of scoring, 63% of rebounding and 69% of minutes played from 2019-20.
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ANOTHER 19+ WIN SEASON
β’ 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.
β’ Buffalo has now won 17+ games in seven straight seasons, a first for the Bulls since joining the MAC in 1998.
β’ Buffalo posted 10 victories last season by double-digits, including a season-high 18 point victory, 73-55, over American on December 1, 2019.
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TRIO OF CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2020-21 SEASON
β’ Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack announced three captains for the 2020-21 season.
β’ After a team vote, the Bulls named Summer Hemphill, Hanna Hall and Dyaisha Fair as team captains.
β’ The three captains have been a part of three straight 19+ win seasons.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballBTS from Women's Basketball content day πΈπ
Tuesday, October 14
1-on-1 with new head women's basketball coach Kristen Sharkey | A Sisterhood
Thursday, May 29
1-on-1 with new head women's basketball coach Kristen Sharkey | What Lead Me to Coaching
Thursday, May 29
1-on-1 with new head women's basketball coach Kristen Sharkey | Excited and Joyful
Thursday, May 29
