BUFFALO, N.Y.— No. 25 St. John Fisher closed the game with a 13-0 run, foiling the Buffalo State women's basketball team's upset bid as the Bengals fell 65-56 Saturday afternoon.
GAME BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 25 St. John Fisher – 65, Buffalo State – 56
LOCATION: Buffalo State Sports Arena – Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS: Buffalo State (5-4, 1-1 SUNYAC), St. John Fisher (8-0)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Tashawni Cornfield (Gowanda, NY/Putham) tallied a 25-point, 15-rebound double-double, adding six steals.
- Katie Villarini (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) added a game-high 25 points, adding five assists and five rebounds.
- Adiya Jones (Washington, DC/McKinley Technology) added seven points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
- The Bengals shot just 30.9 percent (21-of-68) from the field, but earned a 23-9 advantage in fast break points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Bengal 'D' held Fisher in check in the opening quarter, as the Cardinals shot just 18.2 percent (4-of-22) from the field in the period.
- Down 12-10, a Villarini jumper and 3-pointers by Jones and Cornfield gave the Bengals an 18-12 lead, as they would end the period up four (18-14).
- The second quarter saw the Bengals extend their lead, as a 10-0 run gave the hosts their biggest lead of the game at 33-20.
- The Cardinals scored six straight points in the final 1:02 of the half, as the Bengals held a 33-26 lead at the half.
- After an and-one basket by Villarini gave Buffalo State a four-point, 39-35 lead in the third quarter, Fisher scored five straight, including an Anna Milham trey, as the Cardinals led 40-39.
- The teams would trade leads in the final 4:40 of the period, and Villarini converted on a jumper from the high post to give the Bengals a 50-49 lead heading into the final quarter.
- This time, it was the Fisher 'D' that held Buffalo State in check, as the Bengals shot just 16.7 percent (3-of-18) in the final period.
- Midway through the fourth, Villarini scored five straight points, including a three-quarter court heave from Cornfield to Villarini, giving the Bengals a four-point, 56-52 lead.
- Miranda Lynch responded for the Cardinals with a 3-pointer, beginning a game-ending, 13-0 run over the final 4:37.
FOR THE FOES
- Katie Moravec led St. John Fisher with 17 points off the bench, shooting 7-of-11 from the field.
- Lynch added 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
- Claire Kruszka added seven points and nine rebounds.
- Fisher out-rebounded the Bengals by a 56-49 margin, and the Cardinal bench unit outscored their Bengal counterparts by a 30-3 margin.
UP NEXT
The Bengals begin the holiday break, returning to action in 2021 with a road trip to Morrisville State, on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 5:30 p.m.
