POTSDAM, N.Y.— Five players scored in double-figures as Buffalo State shot over 60 percent from the field in the second half and closed the third quarter on a 23-4 run to erase the halftime lead en route to a 77-62 victory over the Bears in SUNYAC action this evening.  

THE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 77, Potsdam – 62

LOCATION: Jerry Welsh Gymnasium – Potsdam, N.Y.

RECORDS: Buffalo State (13-7/9-4), Potsdam (7-12/4-9)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Liv LeBaron (Corning/Corning East) led the Bengals with 17 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds.
• Kaelee Lynch (Atwater, CA/Buhach Colony) tallied 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting from the floor and 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
• Katie Villarini (Hamburg/Hamburg) chipped in 13 points on 5 of 10 shooting, five assists, four steals and four rebounds.
• Tori Hackett (Canandaigua/Canandaigua) finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Lexi Emmi (Liverpool/Liverpool) added 10 points off of the bench.
• Buffalo State and Potsdam matched each other point-for-point in the opening minutes until a late 11-2 run gave the Bears a 19-14 lead at the first intermission.
• The Bengals slowly chipped away at the deficit during the second frame and used a late free throw by Villarini to trim the lead to 35-31 at halftime.
• After Potsdam converted a layup off a turnover with 7:30 left in the third quarter, Buffalo State scored 23 of the next 27 points, including a combined 18 points from Lynch, Kendall Mills (Buffalo/Kenmore East) and LeBaron, to shift the momentum and claim a 56-44 lead at the final intermission.
• The Bengals maintained a double-digit lead for the entirety of the fourth frame, strengthened by nine points by Villarini, to clinch the win.
• Buffalo State shot 50 percent from the floor and 41 percent from distance, while holding a 44-20 advantage in points in the paint.
• Potsdam outrebounded the Bengals 42-39, but failed to overcome its 16 turnovers.

FOR THE FOES

• Dyamon Hunter finished with a game-high 18 points on 4 of 7 shooting from distance.
• Devyn Elliot added 17 points and seven rebounds, while Jakia Howard chipped in six points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

NOTEWORTHY

• With the victory, Buffalo State moves back into a tie for third place in the SUNYAC standing with Geneseo, who currently hold the tiebreaker with the win over the Bengals on Tuesday, with five more games left to play.
• The Bengals and the Knights will meet again on Tuesday, Feb. 11 in Geneseo for a 5:30 p.m. start.

UP NEXT

Buffalo State will visit Plattsburgh in another SUNYAC clash tomorrow at 2 p.m.