BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo State men's basketball team picked up their last home win of the season, defeating the Fredonia State Blue Devils, 70-63, in the 'Battle by the Lake' rivalry matchup.  
 
GAME BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 70, Fredonia State – 63
LOCATION: Sports Arena – Buffalo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 8-15 (6-10 SUNYAC), Fredonia State: 6-17 (4-12 SUNYAC)


INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Nate Severson (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) led the Bengals in the scoring with 17-points affair, going 6-14 from the field while netting four three-pointers from behind the arc.
• Chisom Ani (Elmont, NY/John Browne) led the Bengals in rebounds with six, while Severson and Oryan DeJesus (Schenectady, NY/Mekeel Christian Academy) each grabbed five-boards tonight.
• As a team, Bengals shot 40.7% from the floor, while going 34.6% from the three-point arc and 72.2% at the free-throw line.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Entering their 'Senior Day' the Bengals, looked to get one-more for the 2024-25 seniors' in this rivalry matchup. To begin the first half, the Bengals opened-up strong with a 11-0, forcing the Blue Devils regather their emotions and take the quick momentum swing. As play continued, the Bengals would do their best to hold their double-digit lead, but a 7-0 run from the Blue Devils would see the Bengals lead shrink down to only four-points. With the first half ticking away, both teams would trade baskets before the Bengals would take back control and finish the first half strong, taking a nine-point lead into halftime.
• In the second half, the Blue Devils would begin to get their legs under them…hitting some tough baskets and forcing the Bengals to rely on strong possessions to pull this game out. With under 12-minutes of play left, the Blue Devils would pull within one-possession of the Bengals, before the Bengals would be able to force some stops and pull back up by two-possessions. With four-minutes remaining in this matchup, the game would intensify as the players, coaches and fans would see the competitive play pick-up a notch. As the Blue Devils took a one-point lead over the Bengals, it would be their last basket of the second half as the Bengals would close out the half on a 8-0 run to seal a victory in their last game in the Sports Arena, but most importantly, defeat their rivals on 'Senior Day.'

FOR THE FOES

• Brandon Kulakowski led the Blue Devils in scoring and rebounding, securing a 'double-double' in tonight's matchup with 16-points and 13-rebounds.

UP NEXT
The Bengals will continue their SUNYAC playoff push on the road, with a pitstop in Plattsburgh, as they battle the Plattsburgh State Cardinals on Friday, February 21^st at 7:30 P.M.