Gaining experience was an important part of the Bulls' game on Saturday night, as the women's basketball team defeated the Holy Family Tigers in an exhibition match at Alumni Arena. 10 different players entered the game for the Bulls, with nine playing at least 11 minutes in Saturday's 64-56 victory.
"It's a good barometer to see where you are in relation to the things you've done at practice," said Bulls' head coach Linda Hill-McDonald. "It's the time of the year where you try different combinations on the floor and see how the chemistry is."
The Bulls lost only one starter from last season, but they are still a young team. Belinda Gibb is the lone senior on the roster this year.
Junior Flynn Pyykkonen and sophomore Jamie Schiebner did not suit up due to injury.
"Flynn injured her knee and Jamie is still suffering the effects of her concussion last season," Hill-McDonald said. "Flynn goes for an MRI on Monday so we'll have a better idea once those tests are done. Jamie is week-to-week."
With the injuries, freshman Kourtney Brown was in the starting lineup. She took advantage of her playing time, as she scored eight points in the first half.
The Bulls trailed 10-9 early when a jumper at the 13:14 mark by junior Stephanie Bennett gave Buffalo the lead. They gained momentum and went on to score 17 of the next 21 points. Buffalo took a 34-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.
For the first five minutes of the second half, Holy Family was able to keep Buffalo from increasing their lead. However, after that the Bulls went on a run. With just under 10 minutes left in the game, freshman Ashley Zuber stole the ball and hit a jumper. It put the Bulls up 51-34 and gave them their largest lead of the game.
The Tigers fought back and Kelly Killion hit two three-pointers during a 12-2 stretch that brought Holy Family within seven with just over five and half minutes left to play. However, the Bulls were able to regroup and hang on for the victory.
Junior Heather Turner led the Bulls with 14 points and nine rebounds. Bennett had nine points and a game-high seven assists. Gibb had a solid game as well, with 13 points and four assists. .
Hill-McDonald recognized the strength of the opponent, as the Tigers are coming off a season in which they went 29-3.
"They're a very, very good basketball team," Hill-McDonald said. "I think it was a good match."
Both teams had almost the same number of turnovers, but Buffalo made better use of its opportunities. They outscored the Tigers 27-10 on points off of turnovers.
All four of the Bulls' freshmen received a significant amount of playing time. Brown, Zuber, Meghan George and Dayna Brown each played at least 10 minutes.
For Zuber, the opportunity to run the Bulls' offense was an honor.
"I was really excited to get out there with this group of girls," Zuber said. "I'm privileged to wear this uniform."
Bennett was proud of the leadership and composure of the team.
"I am happy with the way that we came out, and not a lot of people were nervous," Bennett said. "That's good, especially with the older people that we have on our team. I think that helped with the young ones."
Despite the victory, the Bulls acknowledged that there was room for improvement. One point of emphasis was based on the fact that they were out-rebounded 21-12 in the second half.
"We need to work on rebounding and our defense overall," Bennett said. "All the little things that we can control, we need to improve on."
Hill-McDonald agreed with Bennett on what the team needed to continue to work on, and felt that the game was a good chance for assessments.
"It gives us an idea of what we things need to work on," Hill-McDonald said. "We've targeted things in practice. We're hoping to see a little bit better rebounding, in particular."
Overall though, Hill-McDonald was pleased with the exhibition game.
"I'm glad to sneak away with a win," Hill-McDonald said. "It's good for us to be able get as many players in as we did and for that many players to get double (digit) minutes of playing time. I'm happy with that."
The Bulls start their regular season this Friday night. They will travel down Main Street to face local rival Canisius at 5 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
