Despite the loss of five seniors, including the school's all time time leading scorer Brenna Doty (1,703 points), University at Buffalo head women's basketball coach Sal Buscaglia is excited about his 1997-98 Bulls. UB returns seven veteran players, who according to Buscaglia should mesh together with seven talented newcomers to formulate a solid squad that should compete strongly for the Mid-Continent Conference title and an eventual spot in the NCAA tournament.

Last season, the Bulls missed an invitation to the NCAA tournament despite posting their fourth consecutive 20-win season. Although the Bulls defeated three NCAA tournament participants (Louisville, Troy State and Marshall) and finished the season 22-6, they fell in the semifinal round of the Mid- Continent Conference Tournament 54-53 to Youngstown State.

"It is unfortunate that our conference is receiving only one bid to the tournament because there have been some really good teams in the Mid-Con," said Buscaglia. "However, with the returnees that we have and the new players coming in, I think that we will have more depth than we had last season."

Four seniors grace the Bulls roster this season. Leading the pack is 5-10 forward Charissa Gardner (Wagar/Montreal, Que.) who was the Bulls' third-leading scorer a year ago at 11.6 ppg, as well as one of UB's top defensive players.

Gardner appeared in all 26 contests last season, starting 24 and shooting an impressive 50% from the field (111-222). The second tallest player on the team at 6-2 Nicole Blakeslee (Howell/Howell, MI) also returns after starting in 21 games last season for UB.

One of the nation's top shot blockers (1.3 bpg) during the 1996-97 season, Blakeslee figures to be a physical presence inside the paint for the Bulls this season.

Seniors Latoya Crumpton (Hutchison Tech/Buffalo) and Lisette Prinzing (Marlboro/Milton, NY), two other experienced players, also return for their final year. Crumpton appeared in 25 games this past season, starting road contests at Valparaiso and Western Illinois. Ranked 13th in the conference in rebounding(6.0), Crumpton scored three double-doubles in '96-97 with her best performances coming in victories against Missouri-Kansas City and Marshall. Despite scoring a season-high 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting against UMKC, her most impressive performance came against Marshall University where she scored 14 points with a season best 13 rebounds and eight steals.

The tallest player on the Bulls' roster, Prinzing played in all 26 games last season for Buffalo while averaging 2.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg. Prinzing will be counted on to be a great force on the inside for the Bulls.

In addition to a talented senior class, UB should profit from the return of juniors Kim Coon (Belding/Belding, MI), Catherine Jacob (Penn Hills/Pittsburg, PA), and Megan McCray (Corry/Corry, PA). Despite coming off the bench last season, Coon (5-11 forward) claimed the second-best scoring average on the team at 12.4ppg. Ranked third in the Mid-Continent Conference in three-point field goal percentage at 41%, Coon was 28th nationally in three-point field goals made per game at 2.6. Jacob is back at the point for the Bulls after starting all 26 games last season for UB and averaging 11.0 ppg.

Jacob handed out 6.0 assists per contest, which ranked her 17th nationally and second-best in the Mid-Continent Conference. Perhaps her best game of the season came against UMKC where she scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds, and had three steals, while making 10-12 free throws in the game.

McCray, who provided quality time off the bench for the Bulls,' appeared in the first fifteen games of the season before suffering a season-ending injury when she tore her left anterior cruciate ligament during a team practice on January 15.

Adding to this seasoned group are seven newcomers, who according to Buscaglia make up one of the best recruiting classes ever at Buffalo. Heading the list of newcomers are transfers Samantha Cerny (Leonidas, MI/Colon) and Courtney Joseph (Coatesville, PA/John Logan JC). A transfer student from Coastal Carolina, Cerny sat out last season due to NCAA regulations. A major player at Coastal Carolina from 1994-1996, Cerny averaged 13.1ppg, 5.1 rebounds and was named second-team All-Big South in 1996. Joseph comes from nationally-ranked John A. Logan Junior College in Carterville, Illinois. "Courtney was an outstanding junior college player," explained Buscaglia. "Courtney can play either the three or the four spot and has great athletic ability." A 6-0 forward, Joseph averaged 11 points and nine rebounds as a starter for the Volunteers.

Leading the incoming freshmen class is Alexandria, Virginia native and Street & Smith Honorable Mention High School All-American Tiffany Bell (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield). The 6-2 forward/center was heavily recruited by national powerhouses Connecticut and Penn State, averaging 22 points and 14 rebounds for Hayfield High School. Tara Perrier (Aurora, ONT/Aurora), who according to Buscaglia is the Bulls' "Diamond in the Rough", was ranked among the top 10 players in Canada by I Got Game Magazine. A 5-11 guard from Aurora, Ontario, Perrier was a four-year captain at Aurora who led her squad to its' first-ever Ontario Championship, earning her a spot on the silver medal team at the Provincial Championships.

Mari McClure (Rochester Hills, MI/ Rochester Adams), a 5-10 point guard from Rochester Hills, MI, gives the Bulls a taller player who can play both the point and shooting guard positions. McClure averaged 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 three-point field goals per game last season for Rochester Adams High School. "Mari was a player that was overlooked by a lot of schools," said Buscaglia. "She drives to the basket well and is an excellent athlete." Jill DeYoung (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney), also a Street & Smith Honorable Mention High School All-American, gives the Bulls another sizeable point guard at 5-9. DeYoung comes to Buffalo from Matawan, NJ where she averaged seven points and nine assists in leading New Jersey powerhouse St. John Vianney to the state title. DeYoung was also recruited by Fairfield and Hartford University.

Rounding out the incoming freshman class is Sonia Ortega (Chihuahua, MEX/Cobach) who was a three-year member of the Mexican Under-19 National team which finished second only to the United States in the 1997 Under-19 World Junior Championships. Ortega averaged 15 points and five rebounds and was named to the all-tournament team.

"I think that this season we will definitely be competitive and have an opportunity to compete to qualify for the tournament," said Buscaglia. "It will take time at the start of the season for the new players to adjust to and learn the system but, I think that we have done everything in the off season to prepare ourselves for conference play and the NCAA tournament."

With experienced veterans returning, a top-notch recruiting class and a demanding schedule which includes matchups against North Carolina, Syracuse and a trip to the Central Florida tournament, the Bulls may have the right formula to win the Mid-Con tinent Conference tournament title and gain a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time in the school's history.