BUFFALO, NY – The Buffalo State men's basketball team fell in their latest SUNYAC matchup, 75-61, to the New Paltz Hawks.

GAME BASICS

FINAL SCORE: New Paltz – 75, Buffalo State – 61
LOCATION: Sports Arena – Buffalo, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 5-9 (1-6 SUNYAC), New Paltz: 6-8 (4-3 SUNYAC)

INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE

• Ephraim Strong (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) led the Bengals with 14 points, going 5-10 from the field, while hitting two triples from beyond the three-point line. Jacob Opare (Bronx, NY/St. Raymond) had a strong showing as well for the Bengals, cashing in with 12 points.
• Chisom Ani (Elmont, NY/John Browne) led all players, collecting 12 rebounds for the Bengals, while Opare led in the playmaking department with seven assists.
• As a team, the Bengals shot 37.5% from the field, 31.0% from beyond the arc, and 58.8% from the free-throw line.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After dropping their home contest with SUNY Oneonta the night before, the Bengals looked to scratch that game out their minds as they played host to the New Paltz Hawks to close out their back-to-back home contests.
• In the first half, things would go the Bengals favor, as they jumped out to an early lead over the Hawks following some hot shooting from the three-point line. While the Hawks would respond with a 9-0 run to take their first lead in this contest, the Bengals would keep their fight going with an 8-0 run of their own. After trading baskets throughout the remainder of the first half, the Bengals would tighten up on defense before splashing home a three-pointer to take a four-point lead heading into halftime.  
• In the second half, things would repeat same script as the first half, as both sides would trade baskets, making it tough for either side to gain a sizeable advantage. After some key triples from the Hawks, the Bengals would find themselves trailing by two possessions in this contest before an 8-0 run by the Hawks would give them a double-digit lead over the Bengals. As the final minutes ticked away and the Bengals shots falling short, the Hawks were able to close out the Bengals in this home contest.

FOR THE FOES

• LaMar Matthews led all scorers with 25 points, with Isaiah Rivers adding 17 points in support.
• As a team, the Hawks shot 39.7% from the floor, 20.0 from beyond the three-point line and 77.8% from the free-throw line.

UP NEXT
Like the women's team, the Bengals will look to shake off this lost with their next SUNYAC contest taking place on Tuesday, January 20^th at 7:30 PM against the SUNY Morrisville Mustangs.