TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

On Wednesday, you travel to Miami (OH) to face the RedHawks for the second time this year, after beating them 80-61 in your first meeting. What do you need to focus on to get another win at Miami?
What we need to focus on is playing together, limiting our turnovers and finishing. Our defense, we need to bring out the intensity that we had against Miami before. We need to play like we did earlier in the year.

This season, you are leading the Bulls in scoring and rebounding. Did you think at the beginning of the year that you would have made this quick of an impact?
No, I never would have thought I'd make an impact like that. I came in here thinking, 'OK, work really hard and you'll get a couple minutes of playing time here and there.' I work hard and everyone has been working with me so it's been the help from everyone else that has gotten me to this point of leading the team in scoring and rebounding.

You are one of two freshmen and three underclassmen in the starting lineup with freshman Stephanie Bennett and sophomore Belinda Gibb. How are you adjusting to being a part of such a young team?
I think we're all adjusting very well. I'm getting used to playing with them. Right now, I've got a feel for how they play and what they're looking for when they're on the court and what I should be looking for. We're getting better at reading each other on the floor.

The Bulls have players from six different countries on the roster. How have you been able to gel with your teammates so far?
Actually, it's really cool having players from all over, because I mean, you're learning so much about all the countries. If you can't visit them, the best thing is to have them come to you. I mean, we have interesting conversations. I ask Belinda (Gibb) questions all the time about Australia and I get a kick out of her answers and some of the things they have there that we don't have. It's really easy to get along with them and mesh with them.

You were welcomed to college basketball by a pretty formidable foe in defending national champion Connecticut. What was it like to play against a team like that in your first game at UB?
When I came on my visit, Coach Dozier told me that we were playing UConn as the first game and she asked me if I'd be prepared, if I'd be able to play a team like that. I answered quickly, 'Yes.' It's unbelievable to go and play such an athletic team like that. You learn so much playing with them and watching them, but I don't think we had fear playing against them at all. It was a great experience.

Your sister, Jessica, is on Niagara’s women’s basketball team. How much did seeing her go Division I help push you in high school?
Seeing my sister go to a Division I school gave me a big push to try and do the same thing. I wanted to kind of follow in her footsteps and do what the family was doing, go on and play basketball in college. She's been a real big help through high school and even this year. I mean, I talk to her everyday about problems that I have or things that are going on. She's always there for me.

In high school, you were named the Buffalo News Western New York Player of the Year and led Mount Mercy Academy to two league championships. What was your senior season like at Mount Mercy?
It had to be one of the best seasons for us, one of the most enjoyable. It was great to have two league championships and our team was very close in high school. I still talk to the girls all the time. I do miss it, but I love my team now.

Growing up in and around Buffalo, you got to see the community’s reaction to the University going Division I. You also saw the athletic programs struggles. To see Reggie Witherspoon’s men's basketball team go 17-12 last year and 17-7 so far this year, were you excited to see the community embrace Buffalo basketball?
I was very excited. I thought it was about time that everyone jumped on the bandwagon. I love Buffalo. I really wanted to stay in Buffalo. I didn't want to go far away. I love the community. I think our community supports things that go on here really well.

You chose UB over other Division I schools like Maryland and Wagner. What made Coach Cheryl Dozier’s program the one that was the right fit for you?
I'd been to a couple of (Bulls') games in high school and I'd seen how (Coach Dozier) coached and I really liked her work ethic, how she coached her team and how she got things across to them. UB was the right fit for me. It's close to home. My family's here to support me still. My team, I mean, I got along with the girls right away when I first met them, so it was an automatic choice.

What has been your favorite moment as a UB athlete?
My favorite moment as a UB athlete was probably when I got my scholarship and knew that I was going to be a UB athlete. As soon as I decided to come here and talk to the coaches and everything, we went right over to Steve & Barry's (in the Galleria Mall) and bought a bunch of Buffalo gear to wear around.

“The 10 Questions With…” feature is compiled by Joe Guistina.