KEUKA PARK, NY – The Buffalo State men's basketball team opened the season with an 80–73 road victory over the Keuka College Wolves.
 
GAME BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 80, Keuka College – 73
LOCATION: JMW Recreation and Athletics Center – Keuka Park, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 1-0 (0-0 SUNYAC), Keuka College: 1-1 (0-0 Empire 8)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Zee Johnson (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena) paced the Bengals with 24 points, shooting 7-for-13 from the field and knocking down five threes from beyond the arc. Chisom Ani (Elmont, NY/John Browne) followed with 16 points, including a perfect 8-for-8 performance at the free-throw line.
• Ani opened the season with a double-double, pulling down a team-high 12 rebounds. Oryan DeJesus (Schenectady, NY/Mekeel Christian Academy) led the Bengals with four assists while adding 13 points of his own.
• As a team, the Bengals shot 42.1% from the floor, 32.0% from three, and 77.4% from the free-throw line.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Opening their regular season on the road, the Buffalo State Bengals looked to set the tone early as they squared off with the Keuka College Wolves.
• In a competitive first half, both teams traded baskets throughout the opening minutes. Knotted at 24–24 late in the frame, the Bengals fell behind after a 7–0 Wolves run. The Bengals trimmed the deficit to two in the final minute, but the Wolves responded with a 6–0 burst to take an eight-point lead into halftime. The Bengals shot 31.0% from the field in the half, while the Wolves finished at 41.2%.
• Coming out of the break, the Bengals caught fire, knocking down three straight three-pointers to storm back and reclaim the lead. The Wolves battled to tie the game at 45–45, but the Bengals' defense tightened from that point on, keeping the Wolves in check as the offense found its rhythm. With the Bengals holding a one-point edge entering the final five minutes, an 8–0 run provided the separation needed, sealing the Bengals first victory of the 2025–26 season.

FOR THE FOES

• Lamar Lovelace led the Wolves with 25 points, while Akinlana Popoola followed with 13 points.
• Lovelace also finished with a team-high six rebounds, while Kaleb Nutifafa and Chase Welch each recorded two assists.

UP NEXT
The Bengals return to action next Friday, November 14^th, traveling to the University of Rochester for the Rochester Tournament. The Bengals open against the host Yellowjackets at 6:00 p.m.