One glimpse at the women's basketball team's record from last season shows the team has a lot to prove. The Bulls will be out on Friday to show fans that they are a new team, with a new coach and a winning attitude.
Head coach Linda Hill-MacDonald steps in to take the helm as the Bulls begin their quest at making a name for themselves amongst Mid-American Conference opponents. She hopes to instill the team with the mentality that has brought her success in her previous coaching experience.
"I think they have the intensity, attention to detail and the mental preparation needed," Hill-MacDonald said.
If Hill-MacDonald's track record is any indication of the Bulls' chances this year, they certainly have something to be excited about. Hill-MacDonald's r?(c)sum?(c) includes a stint in the WNBA as a head coach of the Cleveland Rockers, in which she led the team to an Eastern Conference Championship, as well as taking two Division I schools to the NCAA tournament.
Hill-MacDonald certainly has her work cut out for her. The Bulls are coming into this season having lost four seniors and are coming off a 4-24 record. All four wins came at home as the Bulls struggled tremendously on the road.
UB will start the 2005-2006 season against 11 consecutive non-conference opponents, and Hill-MacDonald is confident that each game will serve as important preparation for her team when they face the MAC.
"Every game prepares you for the next," Macdonald said. "Each game is a learning experience."
UB comes in as a fairly young team, having four freshmen and five sophomores on the roster. However, Hill-MacDonald is not worried about the inexperience, and she believes the underclassmen can make an immediate impact when the season starts.
One key player Hill-MacDonald is looking to have a big season is sophomore forward Heather Turner. Turner averaged 11.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in her freshman campaign and earned MAC Freshman of the Year.
Sophomore guard Stephanie Bennett also looks to improve on her numbers from last season, in which she started 25 games and averaged 5.9 points per game. The agile guard also lead the team in both assists and steals per game with 3.3 and 1.3, respectively.
"I think there's some pressure on Heather Turner coming off a wonderful season last year," Hill-MacDonald said. "We're also looking for retuning point guard Stephanie Bennett and Brooke Meunier to have big seasons."
The veterans are looking to have big seasons and lead the young team. Fielding the brunt of this responsibility is senior guard Meunier, who is the only senior on the current roster. Meunier said the team has made some big changes in the off-season and is on its way to becoming a drastically improved team.
"With a new coach, we changed our defensive footwork and have a more positive attitude," Meunier said. "We also have a lot more plays on offense."
For Meunier, it seems that a team's wins and losses do not alone determine its quality.
"We were definitely better than our record last year, at least in my opinion," she said. "It's a new start and it's our chance to prove that we're a much better team."
A challenge awaits the Bulls in their first match up against Canisius, who are last year's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions. A win for the Bulls would undoubtedly boost the confidence of such a young team. Tip-off is Friday at 6 p.m. in Alumni Arena.
