University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: March 24, 2005

Basketball

MEN'S

UB 81, Drexel 76 (OT)
Saint Joseph's 55, UB 50

UB fought valiantly, but lost to Saint Joseph's, 55-50, in a National Invitational Tournament (NIT) match up at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse on Saturday night. The loss brought an end to the Bulls' season-one that saw UB win 23 games, the most in school history.

On a night when their shots weren't falling, the Bulls' gritty defense kept them in the game and put them in position to win in the end. However, Saint Joseph's came up with clutch shots late in the contest to hold off the Bulls.

The Bulls opened the NIT with an overtime win over Drexel, 81-76, on March 16 in Alumni Arena. Senior point guard Turner Battle hit a driving layup with 1.7 seconds remaining in regulation to force the overtime and UB never trailed in the extra session to gain the first postseason victory in school history.

WOMEN'S

Dozier out as women's basketball coach

Bill Maher, interim director of athletics has announced that Cheryl Dozier will not return as head coach of the women's basketball team. A national search for a replacement will begin immediately.

Dozier has been at the helm of the UB women's basketball program for the past seven seasons, compiling an overall 89-107 record. Her teams posted a 44-68 Mid-American Conference record over that time, with their best finish coming in 2000-01 when they tied for second in the MAC East Division and tied for third overall in the league's standings. Dozier's teams were 2-7 in the MAC Tournament and reached the quarterfinals three times, most recently in 2002-03.

However, the program has struggled the past two seasons, compiling a 10-45 record and 6-26 in MAC play. In addition, UB has won just two of its last 30 road games.

Wrestling

McKnight falls short of All-American Round

After four consolation bracket wins, sophomore Mark McKnight's season came to an end in the same spot that it did last year, in the All-American Round of the NCAA Division I Championships.

McKnight's heartbreaking loss came to Indiana's Joseph Dubuque last year and this year, it was Cal. State-Bakersfield's Efren Ceballos, who had beaten McKnight twice this year, who earned the All-America nod, winning 8-5 on Friday evening.

To become an All-American, wrestlers must finish in the top eight at the national championships. McKnight finished in the top 12 for the second year in a row.

McKnight, who finishes the year 31-15 overall and 65-23 in his career, lost to second-seeded Nick Simmons of Michigan State in the first round on March 17, forcing him to fight through five consolation bracket matches to reach the All-American Round.

Tennis

MEN'S

St. Bonaventure 4, UB 3

UB dropped a tight 4-3 decision to Western New York rival St. Bonaventure in men's tennis action on Saturday in the Olean Racquet Club. The Bulls are now 4-7 in dual meet play.

The Bulls dropped the doubles point, picking up one win in the three contests. The number one team of Nick Zieziula and Yules Hadisubroto knocked off Mario Arce and Nikhil Murali, 8-2.

The squads split the singles matches. Mike Rockman, Hadisubroto and Matt Kennedy picked up wins for the Bulls. Rockman, at number two, defeated Nery, 6-1, 6-1. At number three, Hadisubroto downed Murali, 6-2, 6-3. Kennedy breezed past Sajeel Qureshi, 6-1, 6-3, at number six.

UB will open MAC play on Saturday with a 6 p.m. match against Toledo in the Village Glen Tennis Center in Williamsville.

Baseball

George Washington 9, UB 4; UB 7, UMBC 6; Towson 6, UB 4
UB 1, Coppin State 0; UB 5, Coppin State 3 (9)
Towson 11, UB 8; UB 12, Towson 9; UB 9, Towson 8

Sophomore catcher Dan Quinn hit four home runs, including two go-ahead bombs, as UB won five games during an eight-game spring break trip through Maryland. Quinn led the Bulls all week, hitting .448 (13-for-29) with nine runs and 10 RBIs. He hit the go-ahead homer in the seventh inning against Maryland-Baltimore County on March 15, helping ensure a 7-6 win. He also hit the game-winner in the ninth inning of Saturday's 12-9 win over Towson.

Junior pitcher Matt Johnson was a bright spot for the pitching staff, tossing three innings of relief in the 9-4 loss to George Washington on March 14-allowing just one unearned run-and then throwing just the fifth shutout since UB reinstated the baseball team in 2000 on March 17, a four-hit, 1-0 gem against Coppin State.

Softball

Bethune-Cookman 4, UB 0; UB 2, Elon 0; Connecticut 1, UB 0
Fordham 8, UB 0; UTEP 2, UB 0

After getting rained out of its mid-week doubleheader at the University of South Florida, UB went 1-4 at the Bethune-Cookman Tournament in Daytona Beach over the weekend, defeating Elon (2-0), but losing to Bethune-Cookman College (4-0), Connecticut (1-0), Fordham (8-0) and University of Texas at El Paso (2-0).

The Bulls are now 4-17 overall on the season.

In their only win of the tournament, the Bulls shut out Elon, 2-0, on Friday. Sophomore Mary Russell led off the second inning with a double to left field, then scored the first run of the game on a squeeze bunt by junior Lisa Wheat. Senior Julie Hibner drew a two-out walk in the fourth and came around to score on a single to right by junior Lauren Picciano for an insurance tally. Wheat and Picciano both finished with two hits in the game. Senior Stacey Evans earned the win on the mound, allowing just five hits and striking out three in the complete game.

The Bulls will open MAC play with a three-game series at Marshall tomorrow and Saturday.

Outdoor Track and Field

Bulls begin outdoor season at Seahawk Invitational

Five regional qualifiers and three new school records highlighted UB's efforts at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawk Invitational.

The UB women won the seven-team women's meet with 184 points to outdistance the second-place Seahawks with 162. Maryland (108), Campbell (63), East Carolina (55), Lafayette (51.5) and Kutztown State (48.5) rounded out the field. The UB men scored 113 points to place second behind host UNC-Wilmington's 253. Kutztown (90), Campbell (80), Maryland (61.5), Lafayette (60), Lynchburg College (21.5) and VMI (21) completed the eight-team field.

Faith Thompson won two events for UB. Thompson broke Sarah Vance's record in the shot put with an NCAA regional qualifying mark of 48-11.5 (14.92m). The throw was six inches better than Vance's mark at the 2004 Akron Quad meet. Thompson also won the hammer throw at 187-9 (57.23m) for her second regional qualifying mark of the day. The throw was also one inch off Sarah Fletcher's 2002 record of 187-10 (57.27m).

Freshman Vanessa Roelofsen shattered the UB record in the javelin. In her first collegiate meet, Roelofsen won the event with a throw of 161-9 (49.30m), breaking Meagan Rogers' 2003 record of 124-1 (37.82m) and earning the freshman a spot in the NCAA regional meet on Memorial Day weekend. Roelofsen also eclipsed her personal best by nearly 14 feet.

On the track, four UB were individual winners and the Bulls swept the relays. Jen Jezorski took the 800-meters in 2:14.03. Kelli O'Brien won the 5,000-meters in 17:34.80. UB won both hurdle events, with Patrice Coney winning the 100-meter distance in 14.15 while her sister, Celestine took the 400-meter race in 1:02.26. Celestine Coney and Jezorski also were part of UB's 4x400-meter relay winners in 3:53.07. Vashone Wallace ran the second leg, while Stacy Downer anchored the team. UB's foursome of Dana Ventrone, Charisse Everett, Wallace and Downer also took the 4x100-meter relay in a regional qualifying time of 47.38.

The UB men won two events. Dan McKenna took the 800-meter run in 1:54.57 and Todd Joki won the long jump at 23-2 (7.06m). Joki also finished second in the 110-meter hurdles in a school-record time of 14.31, breaking his old mark by .14 seconds, and earning a regional qualification.

The Bulls will return to the Tar Heel State for this weekend's Raleigh Relays, one of the largest outdoor events on the East Coast.

Crew

Spring season gets under way at Clemson Challenge

The spring season opened for UB on Saturday morning at the Clemson Challenge on Lake Hartwell. The Bulls sent five entries—the lightweight 8 squad raced twice—to compete against the host Tigers, as well as squads from Marist, Indiana and Purdue. With flat water and a little headwind, conditions were ideal for racing along the 5,000-meter stretch of the South Carolina lake.

UB's lightweight 8 team scored a victory over Marist as the Bulls crossed the finish line in 7:28, 44 seconds ahead of the Red Foxes.