Box Score
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—
Bianca Smiley (Amherst/Sweet Home) tallied 28 points and 14 rebounds, and Buffalo State (9-1) erased a 16-point deficit in the final five minutes of regulation and defeated Bates (5-4), 69-67, in overtime at the Daytona Beach Shootout this evening at the Ocean Center Arena.
Smiley was 11 of 20 from the field and hit the go-ahead jumper with just 18 seconds remaining in overtime.
Barb Kiliszek (Depew/Lancaster) was held scoreless in the first half, but finished with 10 points. Freshman
Hillary Kollar (Johnstown/Johnstown) also scored 10 points, and
Alicia Bowman (Albany/Guilderland) added five points and 10 rebounds.
Buffalo State shot just 21-percent in the first half and trailed 30-25 at the intermission. The Bengals continued to struggle in the second half and Bates extended its lead to 16 with less than six minutes remaining at 59-43. Kiliszek hit her first and only 3-pointer of the game with exactly five minutes remaining in regulation, and it sparked an incredible rally. The Bengals outscored the Bobcats 19-3 in the final five minutes. Smiley hit a pair of free throws with 1:00 remaining to give the Bengals a one-point lead, before Bates connected on 1 of 2 free throws with 16 ticks left to even the score at 62-62 to force overtime.
The Bengals scored first in the extra period, but trailed again by one, until Smiley knocked down a jumper with 18 seconds left to make the score 68-67.
Olivia Luciani (Syracuse/E. Syracuse Minoa) hit 1 of 2 free throws with four seconds on the clock to extend the lead, and the Bobcats were unable to get a shot off to attempt to tie the game.
Buffalo State dominated the Bobcats on the glass, outrebounding Bates, 66-35. The Bengals also tallied 22 second-chance points, compared to none by Bates.
Smiley was named to the All-Tournament team, posting a pair of double-doubles in the two victories. Buffalo State extended its winning streak to five games.
Buffalo State will break for the holidays before opening the New Year with a non-conference game against Pitt-Bradford on Jan. 4 at 6 p.m.
