If last season was any indication, the future looks bright for the Buffalo State women’s basketball team.
After a successful year that ended with a tough loss in the quarterfinals of the SUNYAC Tournament, the Bengals return knowing what they must do to go further this time around.
“Finish,” Bengals head coach Susan Roarke said. “When you’re up with less than four minutes to go, good teams will finish that game”.
A lot is expected from a Bengal team that finished the 2010 campaign with a 15-10 record, including 10-8 in conference play.
The Bengals return key players in their two scoring leaders from last year, Staci McElroy (15.7 ppg) and team captain Barb Kiliszek (13.7 ppg). They lost a very physical presence in the paint in last year’s center, Dee Layne, who graduated.
Layne wasn’t known for her scoring but she still filled up the stat sheet, finishing last season averaging 5.2 points and 8.2 rebounds a game.
Roarke called Layne the best rebounder she’d ever coached and said that she the team will miss her character and maturity.
Sophomore transfer Bianca Smiley is expected to help fill the hole Layne left. She averaged 15 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game last year with Medaille.
“She’s the new physical presence in the middle,” Kiliszek said of her new teammate.
Other incoming players this year are freshmen Olivia Luciani, from Syracuse, and Hillary Kollar, from Jamestown.
Kiliszek said that her goals this season were to host a home playoff game and get past the first round of the SUNYAC Tournament.
The Bengals will face some stiff competition in conference foes Geneseo, Fredonia, Oswego and Cortland, who the Bengals went a combined 4-8 against last year.
The Bengals start their season playing an exhibition game against the University of Buffalo Wednesday, followed by their season opener against D’Youville November 15at home in the Sports Arena.
Roarke said that the real season starts with conference play, which will determine where the Bengals end up in the postseason.
The team will focus on replacing Layne’s defensive presence and evening out their scoring, Roarke said. McElroy and Kiliszek were the only players to average double-digit scoring last year.
Kiliszek said instead of simply making the playoffs, she anticipates getting past the first round and competing for a national championship.
“I would expect nothing less of my teammates,” she said.
Assistant coach Max Payne simplified the team’s goals.
“They’re a bunch of unselfish girls working hard,” he said. “These girls just want to win.”
Aubrey Gibert can be reached by email at gibert.record@live.com.