Women's Basketball

Lights are shining, the cameras are rolling and tonight will be the time for the Buffalo Bulls women's basketball team to step up to the spotlight.

The bar will be raised this year since UB posted an 18-11 record last season, before bowing out in the second round of the Mid-American Conference tournament. This year, with four returning starters, Buffalo will need to start off playing well if they hope to maintain their role as a contender in the competitive MAC.

The best way to do that would be to get off to 1-0 start with a win versus local-rival Canisius tonight.

"The girls are very excited just because it is the home opener," said UB assistant coach Stephanie Schueler (head coach Cheryl Dozier was unavailable for comment due to illness). "It's our first game of the season. It's versus cross-town rival Canisius. We haven't played them in about three years, so it will be a big game."

Jessica Kochendorfer will be the focal point of UB's offense and rightfully so. The senior forward was named to the pre-season All-MAC East Division team.

"We are looking to balance the scoring with not just Jessica," said Schueler. "We are looking for things from Kim Kilpela, Hollie Cook and Kelly Calderone, and actually have a lot of weapons offensively. I think (the Griffins) are going to have to do more than just shut down Jessica."

Griffins' head coach Mike Decillis doesn't see the matchup as a big game because the two teams play in separate conferences.

"I don't think it's a big game," said Decillis. "It's just like one of a lot of games that we have. We do the best that we can and we like to play UB because we respect them. If we should play well and win that's a big feather in our cap."

Decillis' team is young, as he will start three sophomores. This year he only has two seniors and no juniors.

"We're really young and inexperienced in that aspect," said Decillis. "I have two pretty good seniors but I don't think they can carry the whole load, so I think it's immature to start worrying about any rivalries."

"I know they have a lot of leadership," said Schueler. "Jenel (Stevens) and Lonnie (Brown) are their two big seniors that will be the focal point. They have a lot of deep shooters that we have to control."

The Bulls should not take this young team lightly though. For a youthful team they were able to put up a winning record last year (16-12), proving that their inexperience does not hinder their playing abilities.

Buffalo has a young gun itself in guard Hollie Cook, who will start her sophomore season hoping to continue the play she showed last year when she was ranked No. 1 in the MAC in assists.

"I think she is more settled down from last year," said Schueler of Cook. "We need her to score a little more with the absence of Kate (McMeeken-Ruscoe) who averaged 16 points last year. We are definitely looking for someone on the perimeter to step up for us."

The game will be a good tune-up for the Bulls, who will partake in a tough schedule this season, which includes games versus Auburn, St. John's and Colorado later this month. Tonight's action tips off at 6 p.m. in Alumni Arena, the first game of a double header along with the men's team, which will start at 8 p.m.