UB Women’s Basketball finishes season with No. 21 ranking in USA Today Coaches Poll

Following a remarkable NCAA Tournament run that featured a trip to the Sweet Sixteen, UB Women’s Basketball received a No. 21 national ranking in the USA Today Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

Buffalo was receiving votes in the poll for much of the Mid-American Conference slate but a rough loss to Northern Illinois prevented the Bulls from actually appearing in the poll. But, the Bulls showed they belonged in the same conversation with some of the nation’s best after collecting dominant victories against No. 14 Florida State and No. 24 South Florida in the NCAA Tournament.

UB also gave No. 6 South Carolina an extremely difficult time in the Sweet Sixteen before ultimately falling, 79-63. Buffalo was within five points at multiple occasions in the final minutes of the game.

The national ranking is the first of its kind for UB Women’s Basketball. Also joining the Bulls in the poll are fellow MAC members Central Michigan with a No. 20 ranking. CMU won the MAC Championship over Buffalo and went on to take down No. 6 seeded LSU and No. 3 seeded Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament by convincing margins.

The news caps off the greatest season in UB Women’s Basketball history that featured many accolades and a program-best 29-6 record. Now, the Bulls will try to ride the momentum of this season and gear up for a huge challenge next year. Buffalo will have to replace its loaded senior class of Mariah Suchan, Liisa and Katherine Ups, Stephanie Reid, and Cassie Oursler. We’ll get into the Bulls’ incoming recruiting class more in-depth later.