GENESEO, N.Y.— The shots refused to fall early, but the Buffalo State women's basketball team rallied back, only to fall short to Geneseo by a 57-52 score in SUNYAC action Tuesday evening.
 
GAME BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Geneseo –57, Buffalo State – 52
LOCATION:  Schrader Gymnasium – Geneseo, N.Y.
RECORDS:  Buffalo State (9-9, 6-6 SUNYAC), Geneseo (12-8, 9-5)
 
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Katie Villarini (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) tallied her seventh double-double of the season, finishing with a game-high 14 points and a season-best 11 rebounds, adding six assists and three steals for the fourth consecutive game.
• Riley Domin (Getzville, N.Y./Williamsville South) came off the bench to add 11 points, hitting three 3-point shots.
• Grace Carey (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island) added seven points, shooting 3-of-4 from the field.
• The Bengals shot 36.2 percent (21-of-58) from the field and tallied 16 points off Geneseo turnovers.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Geneseo's defense took control in the first quarter, holding Buffalo State scoreless as the Knights held a 14-0 lead.
• Domin broke the 11-minute drought with a 3-pointer after an Adiya Jones (Washington, D.C./McKinley) steal.
• After reducing the deficit to nine midway through, Geneseo pulled the lead back to double digits, leading by 17 (29-12) at the half.
• The Knights stretched their lead to 21 in the third after a pair of Lauren Romito free throws.
• Heaven Rollek (Springville, N.Y./Springville-Griffith), Taylor James (Buffalo, NY/Frederik Law Olmstead), and solid defense got the Bengals back in the game, as they went on an 10-2 run to trail by 13, 46-33 after three.
• Geneseo stretched the lead back to 16 (51-35), after Mackenzie Reigle scored three straight points at the 5:06 mark.
• Jones sparked a furious Bengal rally with a layup, as the squad went on an 11-0 run to trail by just five (51-46) with 2:09 in regulation.
• Reigle then scored three straight points for Geneseo including a jumper with 1:06 left to lead by eight.
• The Geneseo lead stayed around 5-8 points the rest of the way, as the Knights' 'D' thwarted a Bengal comeback.

 
FOR THE FOES

• Kiley Snow led Geneseo with 13 points and nine rebounds.
• Reigle and Hannah Stockman each added 10 points.
• The Knights shot 37.5 percent (18-of-48) from the field.
• Geneseo also took the season series from Buffalo State after also defeating the Bengals 62-54 on Dec. 4.

 
UP NEXT
The Bengals will return to the Buffalo State Sports Arena after the four-game road trip, hosting New Paltz on Friday in a 5:30 p.m. start.