BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo State women's basketball picked up before the winter break, taking down the Alfred State College Pioneers, 77-71, in the Sports Arena.

GAME BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State– 77, Alfred State – 71
LOCATION: Sports Arena – Buffalo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 3-6 (0-2 SUNYAC), Alfred State: 2-8 (1-1 AMCC)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Ashley Tucker (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West) led the all scorers today with a 21-point day, going 6-13 from the floor, adding two "3's" from behind the arc and finishing 7-11 from the free throw line. Adiya Jones (Washington, D.C./McKinley Technology) backed her up with 12 points, while Chloe Hanson (Skaneateles, NY/Moravia) and Morgan Popp (Tonawanda, NY/Sweet Home) chimed in with 11 points each.
• Tucker also led the Bengals in rebounds, cleaning up five boards from the glass, with Jones and company all grabbing three rebounds.
• As a team, the Bengals shot 43.9% from the floor, while shooting 53.8% from the free throw line.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Entering their last home game before the winter break, the Bengals looked to end their first half of the season on a high note, with the hopes of picking up their first home win. The first quarter saw a wave of back and forth play between competitive opponents, with each team's defense keep points tough to come by. As the first quarter came to a close, both teams would be tied at 11-11 and would look to respond in the second quarter. The Bengals shot 35.7% in the quarter.
• The second quarter saw both the Bengals and the Pioneers begin to find their rhythm, as scoring became a norm throughout the quarter. As the Pioneers got hot, going on a 6-0 run, the Bengals would answer back with their grit keeping the game at arm's length. The Pioneers would go on another run to close the quarter, but a buzzer-beater tip in by Mya Brown (Buffalo, NY/Frontier) would give the Bengals the momentum as both teams went into their locker rooms for halftime. The Bengals shot 42.9% in the quarter.
• Exiting halftime, the Bengals would go on one of their best runs of the season, opening the third quarter on a 12-0 run and taking a ten-point lead over the Pioneers. While the Pioneers would continue to swing at the Bengals lead, getting the game within single digits in the quarter, the momentum proved to be too strong, with the Bengals taking the third quarter momentum and entering the fourth quarter up 11 points. The Bengals shot 52.9% in the quarter.
• The fourth quarter saw the Pioneers play with more grit, forcing the Bengals into tough shots while knocking down their own. While the Bengals were able to extend to a 16-point lead in the quarter, the Pioneers would go on a 12-0 run and bringing this game into three-points. However, a resilient Bengals team kept their foot on the pedal and taking the win over the Pioneers!

FOR THE FOES

• Kirsten Merrit led the Pioneers with 15 points, with Taylor Benjamin and Sarah Somers each chimed in with 12 points.
• Benjamin also led the Pioneers with eight rebounds, with Mary Gibson grabbing seven boards as well.

UP NEXT
The Bengals will enjoy a well-deserved holiday break as they'll be out of action for the remainder of December. They'll return to action Tuesday, January 7^th as they play host to the SUNY Morrisville Mustangs at 5:30 P.M.