Nobody knew what to expect from the women's basketball team this season. The squad had a new head coach, only one senior and a Mid-American Conference record below .500 in seven of its last nine seasons.
The Bulls (12-20, 8-8 MAC) did not let the negative preseason press stand in their way. Even while suffering injuries to key players along the way, the new culture brought in by head coach Felisha Legette-Jack was one of enthusiasm and fight. Freshman guard Mackenzie Loesing and sophomore forward Christa Baccas had huge seasons for the Bulls, earning honorable mention All-MAC honors, and Loesing was a part of the All-Freshman squad.
The team struggled with a difficult non-conference schedule, starting the season just 2-12, but bounced back with victories in its first three MAC contests, including a 73-36 rout over Ohio in its second conference game. Following the three-game win streak, the Bulls suffered a devastating injury as they lost their leading scorer, freshman forward Rachael Gregory, for the rest of the season with an ACL injury.
"It's another step toward what we are trying to build here at Buffalo," Legette-Jack said. "At the beginning of the year, we knew we were going to lose a couple of games because we were trying to a foundation of what we stand for, which is character first, academics second and basketball third. It wasn't until the middle to the end of the non-conference schedule [that we found it]."
Loesing and Baccas emerged as prominent names within the conference.
Loesing led the Bulls in scoring this season, averaging 11.6 points per game and 13.8 per game in MAC play, second among all freshmen. She proved to be a two-way player, leading the team with 66 steals.
Baccas led the team and finished in the top 10 in the MAC in field goal percentage, rebounds and blocks (where she finished first). She also ranked second on the team in steals, third in assists and fifth in scoring.
Junior Margeaux Gupilan controlled the offense at point guard and her frontcourt mates, sophomore Kristen Sharkey and junior transfer Cherridy Thornton, proved perfectly capable of providing the offense lost when Gregory went down.
After splitting the last six games of the season, the Bulls hosted and emerged victorious in their first game of the MAC Tournament. They defeated Northern Illinois and earned a trip to Cleveland.
The Bulls pulled off an 82-70 upset victory in the second round of play over Miami Ohio (19-12, 10-6 MAC), led by Loesing's 24 points. With the win, they earned the opportunity to play the No. 3 seeded Akron Zips and a chance to avenge two regular season losses.
Buffalo was behind by 12 points at halftime, but the Bulls responded from a punch and provided a counter of their own like they had all season. They began the half on a 25-11 run to take the lead. They held the lead for much of the second half - leading by as many as four - but following a four-point play by Akron, the Bulls' advantage vanished and they never reclaimed the lead.
The Bulls lost 83-79. Following a last-place finish in 2011-12, Buffalo found itself five points away from advancing to the MAC semifinals - an accomplishment few expected.
"We are just starting; we can't get too high with what happened [in the MAC Tournament] because we have room to grow," Legette-Jack said.
Although Thornton was only eligible for the final 22 games of the Bulls' season due to transfer rules, her impact was felt immediately as she finished second on the Bulls in points per game. Sophomore guard Sloane Walton was the top shooter from behind the arc for Buffalo, draining 43 three-point field goals while shooting 36 percent.
Next year's team looks poised to make a deep run. Although the Bulls lose their senior captain Nicki Hopkins, the rest of the young roster is expected to return. Gregory, who is currently rehabbing her injury, should be able to return at some point in the season. Her abilities will add to a team that has already gained valuable experience in big games this season.
With the scoring of Gregory, Loesing and Thornton, and the all-around play from Baccas, the Bulls will likely no longer play the role of the spoiler; they look to be a feared team.
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