NEW PALTZ, NY – For the first half of Friday night's women's basketball game, the State University of New York at New Paltz Hawks wouldn't allow visiting Buffalo State out of eyesight, but the Bengals began the second half on a 14-5 run that propelled them to a 78-55 victory in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action at the Hawk Center.
A strong interior presence provided the difference as Buffalo State wore down New Paltz, outrebounding the Hawks 52-36 that helped secure a 14-2 edge in second chance points. While New Paltz was effective with its inside game, foul trouble kept the Hawks from making a concerted run at the Bengals. But it was Buffalo State's initial spurt, bolstered by 50 percent shooting from the field (6-for-12), that kept New Paltz in catch-up mode.
New Paltz drops to 5-16, 3-11, while Buffalo State improves to 17-3 and a conference-best 12-1. The Hawks will play their final home game of the season on Saturday against SUNY Fredonia at 2 p.m. Buffalo State travels to SUNY Oneonta on Saturday for a 2 p.m. game.
Although Buffalo State led throughout the contest, the Hawks were seemingly in striking distance, especially in the first half. A power inside move by senior forward Jeanette Scott (West Babylon, NY/North Babylon) had the Hawks down only 22-21 in the early stages, and New Paltz kept the Buffalo State margin within five-to-seven points the entire first half. A layup by freshman forward Courtney Irby (Farmingdale, NY/Farmingdale) with 1:23 until intermission, brought New Paltz within 35-30. Buffalo State led 37-32 at half.
The second half proved to be a different story, as the Bengals got off to a fast start with the 14-5 run and developed a ten-point lead within the first two minutes of play. A three-pointer by junior guard Ashley Riefenhauser (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Dobbs Ferry) with 12:42 to play got the Hawks within 53-42, but Buffalo State had too much firepower, especially from senior guard Staci McElroy, who tallied a game-high 30 points, 16 of those coming in the second half. McElroy made 10-of-12 free throws. The closest New Paltz would come was 55-46, following a layup from sophomore guard Christine Rivera (Long Beach, NY/Valley Stream) with 10:55 to play.
Irby was nearly equal to McElroy, though, scoring a career-high 21 points on 8-for-17 shooting from the floor. It was Irby's highest scoring output since the season opener against Chapman. She also grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds, surpassing her previous high of 13 against Chapman and SUNY Oneonta.
Riefenhauser had a strong game, tallying 11 points on 4-for-7 from the field and 3-for-5 from behind the arc.
Beside's McElroy's 30 points, Buffalo State got 19 points from junior forward Ashley Wallace.