There was no love lost between the Bulls and Chippewas Saturday afternoon. Women’s basketball head coach Felisha Legette-Jack sat in the media room at Alumni Arena next to her star player, senior guard Cierra Dillard, both visibly upset. Legette-Jack gave a thousand-yard stare toward the green screen in the back of the room as she delivered her opening statement.
“Swing and a miss” is a common phrase uttered by baseball broadcasters and the unfortunate result of UB softball’s first five games of the season. Softball (0-5) travelled to Fullerton, California last weekend to compete in the Titan Classic against teams from across the country. The Bulls lost every game but managed to remain close, losing twice in extra innings.
Behind chants of “Buffalo is in Canada” from the Akron student section, the Bulls proved again why they are the best team in the Mid-American Conference.
UB men’s basketball came back from an 18-point deficit to defeat Central Michigan 90-76 on Saturday. The Bulls, without senior Nick Perkins for the first half, struggled to find their offensive rhythm before outscoring the Chippewas 52-33 in the second half.
Senior guard Cierra Dillard continued her MVP season with 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in the Bulls’ 75-66 win over Kent State on Saturday. Buffalo’s (16-5, 8-2 Mid-American Conference) starting lineup dominated the night and scored 71 out of 75 points. The Bulls forced turnovers and got out in transition to give them the edge. Sophomore starting point guard Hanna Hall was limited to just 17 minutes after taking a hard hit in the second half.
The Bulls, in a season with its share of ups and downs, return to Alumni Arena after three weeks away and want to continue their winning ways. Buffalo wresting (9-4, 2-2 Mid-American Conference) is back this Friday night to face off with the Central Michigan Chippewas (3-6, 2-3 MAC) at 7 p.m. The Chippewas lost four of their last five matches. The Bulls look to finish their final month of the season on a hot streak with three-straight home matches. Head coach John Stutzman believes individual motivations will propel the team to success.
Buffalo loves to shoot from three. Every player on the men’s basketball starting lineup can shoot from deep and there is no question as to why they do it so much. They’re number 23 in the nation for three-point attempts this season with 629.
Head football coach Lance Leipold received a five-year contract extension running through the 2023 season, UB Athletics announced on Tuesday. Leipold came to UB in 2014 and just completed his fourth season as head coach. He led Buffalo to a school-record 10 wins and 7-1 record in the Mid-American Conference this season. The Bulls appeared in just their second MAC Championship game and earned the third-ever bowl berth. Leipold receives a $159,500 salary increase with the extension.
Bowling Green is now the top team in the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls (19-3, 7-2 MAC) found themselves in front of a sold-out Bowling Green crowd Friday night to take on the Falcons (15-6, 7-1 MAC).
Miller Tennis Center reopened for business this weekend as men’s and women’s tennis each hosted their first home matches of the season. The women’s tennis team picked right up where it left off last season, when the Bulls won their second-straight Mid-American Conference Championship. Now the team is on track for a third.
Loyola-Chicago, as an 11 seed in the NCAA March Madness tournament, made a magical run to the final four last season. The Ramblers took over the television screens of millions of Americans, who watched in awe as the unknown school and its 99-year-old mascot Sister Jean stole hearts and produced one of the best underdog stories of the year.
Summer Hemphill found herself wide open in the closing seconds against Western Michigan. Senior guard Cierra Dillard launched a full-court pass and found Hemphill for the buzzer-beating layup, giving the Bulls a 61-59 win and a spot on ESPN’s top-10 plays. Most importantly, Hemphill, a junior forward, found more than a highlight reel play –– she found redemption.
Families across Erie County hunkered down Tuesday night, knowing they would be greeted with over a foot of snow when they woke up.
Head strength and conditioning coach Lewis Caralla is leaving UB after one season to be the head strength coach at Georgia Tech, Caralla announced Thursday on Twitter. It will be Caralla’s third job in three years. Caralla, who joined the Bulls last Jan. 19, brought new enthusiasm to the Buffalo weight room and field with his highly energetic style.
Bulls fans might see Tyree Jackson in a different jersey next fall. Jackson, a junior quarterback, entered the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday. Jackson will be eligible to become a graduate-transfer and will not have to sit out a season if he transfers.
The Bulls had two chances to be champions this season. They lost both. Junior quarterback Tyree Jackson had an opportunity to throw the ball away; instead, he fumbled. The fumble sealed the fate of Buffalo as Troy took over on the UB 20-yard line. The Trojans scored a touchdown five seconds later.
SYRACUSE — The No.-14 Bulls beat the Syracuse Orangemen 71-59 at the Carrier Dome Tuesday night, in a nationally broadcasted game on ESPN2. Senior guard CJ Massinburg put on an all-star performance, finishing with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists to continue the program’s strongest season start. Massinburg and the Bulls (11-0) played strong defense all night, with Syracuse (7-4) going 24-of-57 from the field. Buffalo led the game in rebounds, assists and three pointers.
It has been a weird first month of the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder were bad and now look well-built. That’s odd. The Los Angeles Lakers look like a losing team, but have a winning record and wrecking ball on defense in Tyson Chandler. We found out even LeBron James can’t carry an entire defense. The Boston Celtics look like garbage, but they have arguably the second-most-stacked team in the NBA.
Buffalo in the winter is when the arctic comes to Western New York. The brutal cold mixed with lake-effect snow guarantees anyone here will be stuck inside. Luckily, UB’s biggest sports programs have Buffalonians covered with championship and high-level games to watch. The Spectrum compiled the games that will keep Bulls fans busy as they wait for more classes at the end of January.
Senior guard CJ Massinburg led a second-half rally Wednesday night with UB basketball’s second triple-double in school history, to help No.17-ranked Buffalo earn an 89-55 win over the Le Moyne Dolphins.
Solutions by The State News
