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Published March 24, 2015 This content is archived.
About 300 fans gathered in Alumni Arena Monday afternoon to celebrate historic seasons for the UB men’s and women’s basketball teams. And while the feeling of accomplishment was certainly strong, there was another feeling, too: That this was just the beginning of more success for both programs.
The crowd, dressed mostly in blue and white, held up “UB Dancing” and “Go Bulls” signs. Some fans waved blue-and-white pompoms and took photos, but most spent the bulk of the afternoon on their feet, cheering and clapping, to honor both squads’ accomplishments.
The men’s team earned the university’s first Mid-American Conference title in basketball and made its inaugural appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The women's basketball team played for the first time in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
President Satish K. Tripathi and Athletic Director Danny White congratulated both teams; women’s coach Felisha Legette-Jack and men’s coach Bobby Hurley reflected on their teams’ seasons and talked about the future.
“It has been thrilling to see both teams compete at the highest level,” Tripathi said. “Our men’s and women’s basketball programs are truly national caliber. This season has been inspiring to the entire UB community.”
“The sky’s the limit for where we can take our athletic department because of the strength of our institution,” White added. “So we are very proud of this moment, but also even more excited about the future.”
When asked about this season’s loss in the WNIT, Legette-Jack said on multiple occasions “we want more.”
The men’s team was introduced to the crowd with DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win” blaring from the speakers. And the team certainly did a lot of winning since mid-February. It’s a run the team plans to make a regular part of March around Buffalo after their first taste of Madness.
When asked about next year by Paul Peck, the radio voice of UB Bulls football and emcee of the rally, sophomore guard Shannon Evans didn’t hesitate.
“Next year is just going to be more exciting and I feel like our team is getting better, our program is getting better, Coach Hurley is doing a great job,” Evans said. “Next year is going to be a lot of fun.”