Buffalo Women's Basketball Returns Home from European Tour
BUFFALO, NY (August 29, 2000) -- The University at
Buffalo women's basketball team
returned home to the United States on
Wednesday, August 16 following a
successful 10-day European tour during
which they posted a 3-1 record playing
against teams made up of club,
university and professional players in Spain and
France. Not one of the nine returning
Bulls was disappointed about the early
end to summer as five days of
double-practice sessions were gladly exchanged
for the chance to travel abroad and
experience another country, both on and off
the basketball court.
"It was a tremendous experience from
both a basketball and a cultural
standpoint," commented third-year head
coach Cheryl Dozier. "The World
Sports Exchange should be commended
for their great work; they put together a
wonderful trip for our group. We also
have to thank the UB administration for
allowing us to take a trip like this.
We were able to include many boosters,
parents and support staff, and it was
a great experience for everyone."
The Bulls arrived in Barcelona, Spain
on Sunday, August 6, and after just one
day of rest, they earned two wins in
three games over the next three days.
Seniors Mari McClure (Rochester Hills,
MI/Rochester Adams) and
Sonia Ortega (Chihuahua,
Mexico/Cobach) led the Buffalo attack
against CB Malgrat in their tour
opener, scoring 15 and 14 points, respectively.
The Bulls opened up a 27-0 lead to
start the game, and they ran away with a
75-38 victory. Senior Tiffany Bell
(Alexandria, VA/Hayfield) netted
12 points and grabbed six rebounds,
while sophomore Rachel Martin
(Kenmore, NY/Kenmore West) added 10
points and eight boards.
The Bulls' only loss of the trip came
in their second game against the
University of Barcelona, a team
consisting entirely of professional players.
Sophomore Colleen Tabor (Ballston
Lake, NY/Shenendehowa) led
the team with 18 points and five
rebounds, and McClure and Bell also scored in
double-figures with 13 and 10 points,
respectively. Buffalo held a 62-60 lead
with 1:39 remaining in the game before
the University of Barcelona battled back
for a 69-63 win.
The Bulls quickly rebounded with a
63-61 win over the University of Valencia
the next day behind a 14-point
performance from sophomore Katie
Blazewski (Plymouth, MI/Detroit
Country Day). McClure finished
with 13 points, while Bell added 11
and Ortega and senior Tara Perrier
(Aurora, Ontario/Aurora) chipped in 10
apiece.
Following their second win, the Bulls
embarked on an overnight train to Paris,
France where they finished their tour
with an 81-38 win over Avenir de Rennes
on Tuesday, August 15. Ortega scored a
game-high 24 points, nine rebounds
and six steals, and Bell added 20
points, four rebounds and three steals. Tabor
dished out nine assists to contribute
to the win.
Ortega, Bell and McClure each averaged
13.3 points per game during the trip,
and Bell and McClure scored in
double-figures in every game. Playing these
exhibition games also gave Dozier the
opportunity to give playing time to every
member of the team, and she expects
the younger players especially to benefit
from their experience.
"This trip was a great way to check
the progress the athletes made over the
summer, and there were some very
bright spots," said Dozier. "Rachel Martin,
a sophomore walk-on, especially played
very well. She really came into her
own."
The Bulls adjusted well to the
European style of play which is much more
fast-paced with shorter stoppages in
play. They played with either a 24-second
shot clock or a 30-second shot clock,
with a larger basketball and in quarters
instead of halves. The opposition
ranged in age from 15 to 33 years old.
"I'm proud of how the team handled the
differences," said Dozier. "They were
put in situations that will help make
them stronger once the season starts. We
had an opportunity to see a lot of
different offenses and defenses, and we tried
different lineups and combinations on
the floor.
"Being together for 10 days was also a
great bonding experience and a great
way to learn to understand and
tolerate each other. That will definitely help us
during the season."
The Bulls open the 2000-01 season on
Friday, November 17 when they play
host to the University of North
Carolina at 7 pm at Alumni Arena.
