WASHINGTON—Freshman Roderick Epps (Uniondale/Uniondale) hit the game-winning layup with seven seconds left as No. 24-ranked Buffalo State (10-1) handed host Catholic (11-1) its first loss of the season today, 82-81, to win the Greenbelt Classic Championship.

Justin Mitchell (Buffalo/Timon) led Buffalo State, matching a career-best with 27 points and added a team-high five rebounds.  Jake Simmons (Rochester/School of the Arts) added 18 points, and Epps scored 13.  Anthony Hamer (Brooklyn/Bishop Laughlin) chipped in nine points and six assists in 20 minutes off the bench.

Buffalo State trailed 39-27 at the intermission, but exploded for 55 points in the second half.  The Bengals quickly erased the deficit in the second stanza, evening the score at 45-45 less than five minutes into the period.  After multiple second-half lead changes, Catholic took a one-point lead on a 3-pointer with 31 seconds remaining, but Epps slashed to the basket on the next possession to reclaim the Bengal advantage.  The Cardinals failed to connect on another 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

The Bengals were minus-10 in the rebounding battle and were outscored in the paint, but overcame the disadvantage inside by connecting on seven 3-pointers, compared to four by the Cardinals.

Mitchell was named tournament MVP, and Simmons joined him on the All-Tournament Team.

Buffalo State will next play an exhibition game at Division I University at Buffalo this Wednesday at 7 p.m.