By: Ricky Webster
BOX SCORE
FREDONIA, N.Y.—The Fredonia State men's basketball team and the Buffalo State Bengals needed overtime to decide the SUNYAC match-up as Buffalo State came out with a 92-79 victory.
The win improves the Bengals to 10-5 in the conference while the Blue Devils drop to 3-12 in the SUNYAC.
The two teams battled for 40 minutes exchanging leads 15 times with eight ties. Down 71-69, Buffalo State's Jake Simmons hit a lay-up with 10 seconds remaining to tie the game at 71-all and send it into the extra session.
The Bengals scored five points in the first 30 seconds of overtime, and held the lead the rest of the way. They outscored Fredonia State 21-8 in the extra period.
Buffalo State led by as many as eight points late in the first half. Smith put back a missed shot with two seconds remaining to bring the Blue Devils to within five, trailing 39-34 at the half.
Buffalo State took the lead deep into the second half until a Branden McKenney lay-up with 5:26 to play put the Blue Devils up 50-49. The teams exchanged leads for the remainder of the second half, only to see the clocks strike zero and the score tied.
Fredonia State placed three scorers in double-figures. Joseph Monahan scored 23 points while Adam Smith finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Damien Goodwin II added 12 points and 10 boards.
Simmons finished with 38 points on 11-19 shooting to pace the Bengals. Justin Mitchell and Chris Cartwright added 14 points apiece for Buffalo State.
The Blue Devils travel to Geneseo on Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. for another SUNYAC contest.
