CORTLAND, NY—Maria Norris (Endicott/Union-Endicott) hit the game-winning shot with 0.9 seconds remaining and Buffalo State (8-2/3-0) overcame a 19-point deficit to defeat host Cortland (7-4/3-1), 69-68, in a SUNYAC contest tonight.

Bianca Smiley (Amherst/Sweet Home) led five Bengals scoring in double figures with 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.  Staci McElroy (Saratoga Springs/Saratoga Springs) also had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Ashley Wallace (Lockport/Starpoint) added 15 points and seven boards.  Norris finished with 12 points and four assists, and Olivia Luciani (Syracuse/E. Syracuse Minoa) netted 10 points. 

Buffalo State got off to a sluggish start and trailed by 19 late in the first half before heading into halftime with a 37-22 deficit.  The Bengals used an 8-0 run early in the second half to cut the margin to five less than five minutes into the frame and then evened the score at 47-47 with 11 minutes remaining.  Buffalo State pulled ahead by seven at 63-56, but the Red Dragons battled back and took a one-point lead on a three-point play with just eight second remaining.  Norris received the ensuing inbound pass, carried the ball down the court and hit a driving short jumper from the right baseline with less than one second remaining.

Statistics for each team were virtually identical across the board.  Each team finished 21 of 30 at the free throw line, while Buffalo State shot 38-percent from the field and Cortland hit on 36-percent of its field goals.

Buffalo State will visit Oswego for another SUNYAC game tomorrow at 2 p.m.