"Preparing for the ball, women's basketball hopes to court victory"

In college basketball there is always a Cinderella team. Head coach Linda Hill-MacDonald's Bulls are hoping that their glass slippers are somewhere in Alumni Arena.

In less than a week, the team will be back on the hard court for Hill-MacDonald's second season at the helm. A season of challenges awaits her and the team.

The schedule features the regular gauntlet of Mid-American Conference foes, led by the Bowling Green Falcons, who ran through the conference to finish 28-3 last season. A deep cast of non-conference teams will challenge the Bulls this year, punctuated by a Dec. 10 visit by the Minutemen of Massachusetts, and a Dec. 29 match-up in Lewisburg, PA against the Bucknell Bison.

Picked to finish fifth in the MAC East, the Bulls will play with an edge after being dropped in the rankings after they placed third last year. The coaching staff will look to use that as motivation.

"Its always good to be underrated or overlooked," Hill-MacDonald said. "It lets our team know that there is work to be done."

Leading the Bulls on their quest will be junior Heather Turner, an All-MAC preseason selection. She tallied 14.3 points per game last season and was sixth in the nation in shooting percentage at .611. She will draw plenty of attention from the opposing defenses for her scoring talent, but she also contributes on the glass as she grabbed 228 rebounds last season.

Highlighted by Turner is a deep junior class that includes guard Stephanie Bennett, who started all 28 games last year and dished out 125 assists to lead the team. Guard/forward Flynn Pyykkonen will also look to contribute more after a strong finish, as she stepped into a starting role in the season's last seven games.

The tallest member of the squad at 6'3" is sophomore forward Barbora Homolova from the Czech Republic, who will look to give an inside presence to a team that usually plays a three guard set. The coaching staff will look to use her to create open shots for the guards and convert easier baskets inside.

Forward Jamie Schiebner will look to bounce back to her starting position after she finished last season on the bench with an injury. She averaged 7.8 points per game along with 7.2 rebounds per game. Schiebner and fellow guard Rachelle Matthys headline the sophomore class. Matthy's contributed 5.9 points per game and also shot 100 percent from the free throw line during the 2005-2006 campaign. She will look to duplicate her success in the upcoming winter.

The only senior on the team, Belinda Gibb, hails from Australia and looks to create havoc for the opposing team. As a defensive specialist, she will be called upon to shutdown top opponents while hoping to increase her scoring tally of 4.1 points per game last year.

The Bulls are a young team and lack clear definition of a starting five. Expect to see the freshmen class of guards Ashley Zuber, Kourtney Brown and Dayna Smith, and forward Meghan George, gain valuable playing time and experience by the season's end.

With a youthful team, Hill-MacDonald is looking to build a foundation for future success.

"I don't think we're there yet," Hill-MacDonald said. "When you think that way you get complacent. I don't want that. Its only our second year in the system so everyone has some growing to do."

Buffalo will open the regular season on Nov. 10 against cross-town rivals the Canisius Golden Griffins. The team will look to avenge last year's 77-61 season opening loss.

"They are a hometown rival, first game of the season. We took a thrashing last year," Hill-MacDonald said. "We have a lot to look forward to. It's the only game on my mind."

With the season just days away, the coaching staff has their goals in sight. Both they and the players are focused on finishing higher in the standings and, most importantly, making some noise in the playoffs. Although they may be a long shot for an NCAA Tournament berth, the team has to keep their focus if they want to accomplish their goals.

"Cinderella stories happen all the time in women's basketball," Hill-MacDonald said. "You always have to remind yourself of that."