POTSDAM, NY – The Buffalo State Bengals women's basketball team dropped their SUNYAC opener on the road, falling 62-57 to the SUNY Potsdam Bears.

GAME BASICS

FINAL SCORE: SUNY Potsdam – 62, Buffalo State – 57
LOCATION: Jerry Welsh Gymnasium – Potsdam, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 0-6 (0-1 SUNYAC), SUNY Potsdam: 2-4 (1-0 SUNYAC)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Imani McNeil (Schenectady, NY/Colonie) led the Bengals in scoring with 12 points, with Naya Haymon (Homewood, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) and Mya Brown (Buffalo, NY/Frontier) adding 11 points each in support.
• On the glass, Brown led the Bengals with seven rebounds, while Haymon led the Bengals with four assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Opening their SUNYAC portion of the season, the Bengals looked to secure their first win of the year as they traveled to SUNY Potsdam for a matchup with the Bears.
• The Bengals and Bears battled neck-and-neck through the first period, with neither side allowing momentum to swing. Strong defensive efforts kept scoring to a minimum, and the Bengals trailed by one heading into the second quarter.
• The defensive theme continued in the second quarter, as shot-making remained difficult on both ends. Despite an evenly played 11–11 frame, the Bengals still entered halftime down by a single point.
• Out of the break, the Bengals finally found their rhythm, taking their first lead since the early minutes of the game. After stretching their advantage to three, the Bears responded with a late basket to cut the deficit, and the Bengals entered the fourth quarter holding a one-point lead.
• In the final period, the Bears applied heavy defensive pressure to reclaim the lead early. Trailing by two possessions, the Bengals battled back to make it a one-possession game, but late shot-making from Potsdam ultimately held off the comeback, handing the Bengals a loss in their SUNYAC opener.

FOR THE FOES

• DaeLynn Alcock led the Bears with 16 points, with Olivia Cook adding 15 points.
• Lucie Scarpine and Reese Shambo led the Bears with six rebounds each.

UP NEXT
The Bengals remain on the road, traveling to Plattsburgh State tomorrow afternoon for a 2:00 PM matchup with the Cardinals.