Heather Turner

BUFFALO, NY - University at Buffalo women's basketball player Heather Turner (West Seneca, NY/Mount Mercy Academy) has been named the 2004-05 Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, as announced tonight at the MAC Tournament Tipoff Banquet at the Hyatt Regency Cleveland. The award was voted on by the league's head coaches and members of the MAC News Media Association.

Turner was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team, announced on Monday, and she is the Bulls' first-ever women's basketball Freshman of the Year honoree and second specialty award winner in their seven-year history in the league. Former standout Sonia Ortega was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2000-01.

Turner averaged team highs of 11.1 points (19th in the MAC) and 7.7 rebounds (sixth in the MAC) in 28 games, and she is the only freshman to appear among the league's leaders in both scoring and rebounding. Turner currently leads the MAC in field goal percentage, and her 57.1 mark (128-for-224) broke the UB single-season field goal percentage record that had stood since the 1989-90 season (Heidi Steckstor, 53.9 percent, 188-for-349). Turner led the Bulls in scoring in nine games and in rebounding in 19 games during the 2004-05 season. She scored in double figures 16 times and had a team-high six double-doubles on the year, which is tied for the third-highest double-double total in the conference and is the highest double-double total among freshmen in the league. Turner played in all 28 games during her rookie campaign, starting 24 and averaging 32.8 minutes played per game.

Turner is the first player to average double digits in scoring during her freshman campaign since Kim Kilpela who averaged 10.3 points per game in 1999-2000. Her 11.1 points per game are the most by a freshman at UB since Brandie Karhoff averaged 12.7 points per game in 1988-89.

"Our staff and players are all extremely happy for Heather," said head coach Cheryl Dozier. "She worked so hard all year and it's nice that the other coaches and media members recognized her individual achievements. I can't say enough about her attitude and her work ethic. She's going to have much more success over the next three years of her career."

The Bulls ended the season with a 79-46 loss to Eastern Michigan on Saturday in the first round of the 2005 Mid-American Conference Tournament.