FREDONIA, N.Y. -- The Fredonia women's basketball team secured a hard-fought 64-56 victory over Buffalo State in a Battle by the Lake rivalry game. 

Fredonia's Grace Alexander led the charge for the Devils, tallying 20 points while shooting 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. She also finished with two rebounds and two assists. Kaylyn Sweeney added 16 points and eight rebounds, while Kyla Smith chipped in 12 points, including two key three-pointers in the second half.

Buffalo State was led by Ashley Tucker and Adiya Jones, who each scored 15 points. Jones dominated the boards with 10 rebounds, while Maddy Stearns added 13 points for the Bengals. 

The game began with both teams struggling to find their rhythm offensively. Buffalo State opened with a quick 4-0 lead, highlighted by Mya Brown's layup and free throws. The Devils offense came alive late in the quarter, with Kaylyn Sweeney converting a fast-break layup to cut the deficit to 11-7 by the end of the period. Fredonia State went into halftime with a slim 21-20 lead.

To open the second half the Devils shot a scorching 53% from the field, with Smith draining two critical three-pointers to extend Fredonia State's lead. Buffalo State made a strong push in the final quarter, led by Jones and Tucker, who combined for 12 points. However, the Devils held on to secure the victory.

With the victory, Fredonia State improves to 5-7 overall and 2-4 in SUNYAC play, while Buffalo State falls to 4-10 and 1-6 in the conference. The Devils will look to build on this win as they prepare to face SUNY Cortland on Tuesday, January 21st, at 4 p.m.