BUFFALO, NY – The Bengals men's basketball team gutted out a hard-fought 72–64 victory over the Alfred State Pioneers in their home opener at the Sports Arena.
GAME BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 72, Alfred State – 64
LOCATION: Sports Arena – Buffalo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 2-2 (0-0 SUNYAC), Alfred State College: 1-4 (0-0 AMCC)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Ephraim Strong (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) led the Bengals with 16 points, shooting 6–9 from the field and 4–6 from beyond the arc. Hali Shabazz (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) added 13 points of his own, also finishing 6–9 from the floor.
- Chisom Ani (Elmont, NY/John Browne) controlled the glass, leading the Bengals with 10 rebounds, while Oryan DeJesus (Schenectady, NY/Mekeel Christian Academy) led the offense with a team-high five assists.
- As a team, the Bengals shot 43.1% from the field and 57.9% from the free-throw line.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After a challenging showing at the University of Rochester Tournament, the Bengals looked to bounce back in their home opener against the Alfred State Pioneers.
- The Bengals opened the first half slowly, as the Pioneers jumped out to an early lead. A 6–0 Bengals run helped them climb back into the game, but the Pioneers responded with tough shot-making, including a few timely three-pointers, to maintain their advantage. In the closing minutes of the half, the Bengals strung together a 7–0 run to pull within three and carry momentum into the locker room, trailing by just two at halftime.
- Riding that momentum into the second half, the Bengals came out firing with a 10–0 run to take their first lead of the game in this tightly contested matchup. The Pioneers fought back and chipped away at the deficit, but the Bengals held strong, stifling a late 7–0 run from the Pioneers, to complete the comeback and earn their first win of the season inside the Sports Arena.
FOR THE FOES
- Darius Cunningham Jr. led the Pioneers with 24 points and added seven rebounds. Mykell Lawson provided strong support with 18 points and seven boards of his own.
- As a team, the Pioneers shot 30.0% from the field and 77.8% from the free-throw line.
UP NEXT
The Bengals return to the road on Saturday, November 22
nd, traveling to Houghton University to face the Highlanders at 1:00 p.m.
