Box Score

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The inside-outside veteran senior play from forward Bianca Smiley and guard Staci McElroy, who combined for 48 points, propelled Buffalo State to an 84-60 victory over the State University of New York at New Paltz women's basketball team on Saturday afternoon in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play at the Buffalo State.Sports Arena.

Smiley and McElroy were a veritable two-player wrecking crew, combining for 18 of Buffalo State's 31 field goals and 12 of 20 made free throws. Smiley tallied 26 points, 16 more than her seasonal average, and McElroy notched 22 points, five more than her average total. That duo sparked a Bengals team that took a 14-13 lead with 11:54 to play in the fist half and never relinquished ownership. Buffalo State, anchored by a 56 percent shooting effort in the second half, maintained a double-digit lead the entire final session after building a 37-24 halftime lead.

New Paltz now falls to 2-6, 0-2 in SUNYAC play. Buffalo State improves to 5-0, 2-0, SUNYAC. The Hawks will play their final game of the semester at Hamilton College on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 6:00 p.m. Buffalo State next travels to the University of Rochester on Friday, Dec. 13 for a 6 p.m. game.

The first nine minutes of the game was evenly played, with three ties and six lead changes, but once Buffalo State junior guard Hillary Kollar gave her team a 14-13 lead after two made free throws, the Hawks were in chase made. Over the next six minutes, Buffalo State built a 29-17 lead and made 12-of-15 free throws in the first half to roll into halftime with a 13-point lead.

Similar to Friday night's loss at Fredonia, the Hawks fell pray to cold outside shooting in an attempt to whittle down a Buffalo State lead that grew to 44-24 within the first two minutes of the second half. Unfortunately, the Hawks couldn't convert as needed, and the Bengals were able to methodically build – and sustain – a big lead in the second half. 

Junior guard Ashley Riefenhauser (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry) had a proficient afternoon for New Paltz, scoring a career-high 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point distance. Sophomore guard Christine Rivera (Long Beach, N.Y./Valley Stream) had nine points and freshman forward Courtney Irby (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) tallied eight points and led the Hawks with nine rebounds.