NYC alumni gathering for Bulls watch party

UB alumni networks span the globe, but the biggest concentration of Bulls backers outside of Buffalo is, unquestionably, in the New York metropolitan area.

It’s fitting then, that a fanatical crew of alumni will gather Saturday afternoon, a few blocks south of Central Park, to watch the women’s basketball team take on the Tennessee Lady Volunteers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

“We’re getting everything ready,” says Ronald Balter, a 1980 UB graduate who was inducted into the Dr. and Mrs. Edmond J. Gicewicz Family UB Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008 for his longtime support of UB Athletics.

The watch party will be at All Stars Sports Bar & Grill — formerly Anchor Bar NYC. Despite the name change, wings remain on the menu, which is a tradition each time the New York City network of alums gather for football and basketball games, says Balter.

For Kelly Sahner, the game is an opportunity to celebrate both her UB and Tennessee connections. Sahner, who resides in the New York City area, played varsity basketball and served as president of the Student Association while earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UB.

From there, she enrolled in a PhD program at Tennessee and eventually went to work for legendary coach Pat Summit while the Lady Vols won three NCAA championships during the mid-1990s.

“It’s really pretty neat,” she says of Saturday’s game. “When they announced the brackets, my phone started going off.”

Sahner, who was part of the student government team that helped to pass student fees to support athletic programs at UB, says the growth of the women’s team — and the athletic program overall — has been impressive.

“I look at the team now, and I’m thrilled to see where they are,” she says.

Saturday’s game is the latest in a series of successes for UB’s women’s basketball program, which has now made four of the past seven NCAA Tournaments, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2018.

Coupled with recent NCAA Tournament victories by the men’s basketball team, and three consecutive bowl games for the football team from 2018-20, UB’s prowess in big ticket sports is helping build pride and spirit among alums, as evidenced by the launch of True Blue, UB’s new spirit campaign.

“I do think it’s growing,” says Balter, who serves as an executive committee member of the UB Alumni Association and as a regional alumni leader. “Our parties have gotten bigger over the years.”

Also organizing and drawing other alums to Saturday’s watch party in Manhattan: Bradley Anhouse, who graduated in 2011 and is a regional alumni leader; Matt Cohen, a 2008 graduate who serves on the UB Alumni Association Board of Directors and as a regional alumni leader; and Durval Morgan, a 2008 graduate and regional alumni leader.

Locally, Saturday’s official watch party will be at the Anchor Bar, 4300 Sweet Home Road, Amherst.