WNY native Noelani Cornfield rejoins with community playing basketball for UB

AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) — Noelani Cornfield migrated south to realize her Division I basketball ambition. She portaled back to compete for a championship and reconnect with the culture in her homeland.

Both of those experiences will be on display Saturday at Alumni Arena when University at Buffalo hosts Ball State on the women's basketball team's first Native American Heritage Day.

"I'm stoked for my family and my community," said Cornfield, a member of the Seneca Nation Indians from the Cattaraugus Reservation. "I know a lot of people from my community will be coming out."

UB's game against the preseason favorite to win the Mid-American Conference will be preceded by an anthem rendition from the Iroquois Post 1587 color guard, and a halftime performance by the k^tyohkwa dance troupe.

"I hope it brings awareness to not only our community, but all indigenous communities around the country," Cornfield said. "Bringing light to who is still here and what we’re all about."

Cornfield has enjoyed having her family in the crowd during her final season of college basketball. That includes her twin Tashawni, who was SUNYAC defensive player of the year for Buffalo State in 2022.

Lani was lightly recruited coming out of Lake Shore High School, in part because at 5-foot-4 she was overshadowed by her 5-9 scoring-minded sister.

"She was definitely the better player," Lani said. "With my size and being a point guard feeding her the ball, I took that backseat role. But I was also working twice as hard, because she had more God-given talent and athleticism."

Shawni, the all-time leading scorer at Lake Shore, attended Putnam Science Academy, fertile recruiting ground for St. Bonaventure's men's basketball program, and started her college career on scholarship at D-II South Carolina Aiken.

"She had the ability to play D-1," Lani said. "But I had the heart."

A second-team All-Western New York selection in her senior season, Lani started out at a junior college, Northwest Florida, and hustled her way to Southern Mississippi in the Sun Belt Conference. She started 27 games last season, including a visit to UB in which she had eight points and nine assists.

"She's a heck of a player, I like her game a lot," UB coach Becky Burke recalled telling her assistants, while making a mental note that Cornfield was from Western New York.

Cornfield knew her preferred destination when she entered the NCAA transfer portal.

"I was talking to other schools, but I always had UB at the top of my list because that was home," she said. "I was talking to other coaches who had interest, but subconsciously knowing I was coming to UB."

"I wanted to win a championship, and they were the team that could do it," Cornfield continued. "And the type of coach that Burke is is the type of coach I want to play for. How she runs her program and the way that she does things here, it makes sense why she’s so successful."

Burke identified Cornfield as a player who could provide a needed element to a team that reached the MAC title game in the coach's second season.

"She’s dynamic, she’s a playmaker, she facilitates for others, but can also get downhill and get to the rim as well as anyone I’ve seen," Burke said. "She gives us a dimension that we didn’t have last year."

Starting at point guard for a UB team that has started 13-1 and is ranked ninth in the Mid-Major Top 25, Cornfield has averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 assists and 2.3 steals, all improvements from her production at Southern Miss.

"It’s nice to have some veteran leadership along with the skillset that she has," Burke said. "She’s played a lot of college basketball and that’s really key leadership-wise."

Cornfield dribbled her way onto the highlight reel in UB's comeback win at Bowling Green on Wednesday night with a crossover move that tumbled her defender to the floor.

"She’s able to make a SportsCenter Top 10 play at the drop of a hat so you’ve always got to be ready," Burke said. "I guard her a little bit when we work out together, and it’s very difficult."

For Cornfield, there has been no greater highlight than seeing familiar faces in the crowd. "Being in an environment where I have my family and community watching me is honestly the best thing," she said.

Along with being rejoined with her heritage.

"As soon as I got back up here, we have an annual pow wow that’s named after my grandfather," Cornfield said. "I was finally able to go to that pow wow after four or five years. All the dancers coming from all of the reservations and tribes, doing what we do, it felt like home. And I was really appreciative of having the opportunity to be there.

"It’s an amazing feeling because I’ve been away for so long."