"As UB's lone senior, Meunier aims for 1,000 point mark"

UB senior Brooke Meunier drove the women's basketball charge in a big win Saturday night, leading the team with 17 points and six assists in 37 minutes on the floor.

After racking up impressive numbers throughout her UB career, Meunier is now the only senior on the team, and she could be the 15th player in Bulls women's basketball history to reach 1,000 career points.

The guard currently has 789 points, 211 points shy of the mark with over 20 games to play. Meunier averages 13.6 points per game and is sixth all-time in three-point shots and fourth in three-point percentage.

"Scoring 1,000 points is a reachable goal, and it would be a big accomplishment," Meunier said.

A 5-foot 9-inch guard from Saginaw, Mich., Meunier attended Heritage High School and led her team to a 23-4 record and the Class-A State Finals as a senior. She was a three-time co-captain and her team's Most Valuable Player.

Meunier has practiced constantly throughout the year to develop her accurate outside shooting.

"When I came here I was not typically known for my three-point shooting," Meunier said. "I've developed it at college. We have a shooting group after practice, but I do most of my shooting practice in the off season, mainly during summer."

As the team's only senior, Meunier doesn't feel pressured but her teammates look to her for a calming effect on the floor.

"The coaches expect a certain level of composure from me and I expect it from myself because I am a senior," Meunier said.

Meunier grew up playing basketball with her two older brothers in Michiga, and started varsity in high school all four years. One of her older brothers, Mickey, was a catcher on the Oklahoma baseball team that captured the NCAA championship in 1994.

A communication major at UB, Meunier has some big plans after graduation.

"I would like to hopefully play basketball in Europe for a while, and eventually coach at a college," she said.

Meunier chose UB because she liked the area and the people.

"I wanted to get away from home, but not too far, and I've met a lot of good friends," Meunier said. "Our record is not always the greatest, but I'm very glad I chose UB."

Meunier wears 22 for the Bulls, a number that has been in her family for years.

"I've been number 22 my whole life," Meunier said. "My dad wore the same number for basketball and football and 22 was also my grandfather's football number. It was a coincidence too. I didn't even realize it until looking at old pictures of my dad."

Meunier said that although she is satisfied with her play to a degree this season, she is concentrating on ways she can improve.

"I didn't start out shooting as well as I could have, and I'm going to work on rebounding more offensively," Meunier said.

With some changes on the coaching staff, Meunier and the Bulls have a new outlook on the game.

"The approach of the new coaching staff is great," Meunier said. "We have goals for each half. We take little steps toward victory and have a new defensive strategy as well. The change in coaching staff was a big change and a good one too."

Meunier is a competitor and enjoys the level of play and atmosphere of college basketball.

"I like being part of the team and my teammates," Meunier said. "I also really like the competitiveness, and playing against good athletes from the other teams."

"I definitely predict that we will do better than we did last year," she said.