"Hunting for a Playoff Victory in Huntington, WV"

The women's basketball team has been a far cry from a contender in the Mid-American Conference this season as they have had little success in posting numbers in the win column, finishing the regular just 6-20, and 4-12 in the MAC.

UB enters the MAC Tournament as the No. 11 seed, but on Saturday they will have the opportunity to erase all doubts, when they travel to Huntington, W.Va. to face the Marshall Thundering Herd in the first round of postseason play.

"It's a new season and we're going in with some confidence," said Bulls' head coach Cheryl Dozier. "I truly believe this tournament is up for grabs, and it is going to be an all out war. We have the opportunity to steal one, we can be the spoiler."

Dozier went on to state that Marshall will be the one pressed to perform well.

"It's the second season and it is anybody's game," said Dozier. "The pressure is on Marshall; they're the home team. We can go in and just play hard."

The Bulls defeated Marshall handily in the team's only meeting of the regular season 79-60 in Alumni Arena on January 17.

A second victory will not come so easily for the Bulls who have had only four days to prepare for the challenge. Coming off Tuesday's heartbreaking 62-56 loss against Ohio, the Bulls will have to overcome giving up their season finale while leading nearly 35 minutes overall.

The key to victory can be summed up in one word: heart. Throughout the season, the team's character has come under speculation, as enthusiasm has been an inconsistent factor.

Dozier blasted senior Kim Kilpela in post-game press conferences in early February, and Kilpela responded by playing the best basketball she has played in recent history.

Senior forwards Kilpela and Jessica Kochendorfer will need to lead Buffalo into battle. Kochendorfer leads the team in both minutes per game (35.0) and scoring (14.0 points per game).

"Consistency is the key," Kochendorfer said. "Everyone needs to play their best Saturday, and anyone on this team can step up at anytime."

Kilpela's team-leading 35 steals along with 10.8 points per game will add poise down the stretch for the Bulls.

"We need to stop allowing poor spurts on defense and focus," Kilpela said. "We can beat Marshall, we have done it before, and we can do it again."

Kochendorfer's leadership and Kilpela's fiery attitude are exactly what Buffalo needs to blindside Marshall and move ahead in tournament play.

"The seniors need to lead us," said Dozier. "We need to focus, leave everything on the floor, and play loose."

"As I've always liked to say, we're going to play uninhibited basketball," said Dozier. "We played 35 minutes of good basketball (Tuesday vs. Ohio), lets put it together for 40 and win when nobody is expecting it."

The Bulls look to play spoiler Saturday, as tip off is slated for 1 p.m. in Huntington, W.Va. The winner of the game will advance to play No.3 Kent State at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 10.