HAMBURG, NY – The Buffalo State men's basketball team fell in its season opener, 66-62, to the Springfield College Pride in the 16th Annual Hawks vs. Hunger Tip-Off Tournament.
GAME BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Springfield College – 66, Buffalo State – 62
LOCATION: Hafner Recreation Center – Hamburg, NY
RECORDS: Buffalo State: 0-1 (0-0 SUNYAC), Springfield College: 1-0 (0-0 NEWMAC)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Bryce Williams (Jamaica, NY/Campus Magnet) and Broek Ostrom (Holley, NY/Holley) each finished with 10 points to lead the Bengals in the scoring department, with Williams also dishing out a team-high five assists.
- Michael Smith (Trinidad & Tobago/Bishop's) cleaned up on the boards, leading the Bengals with seven rebounds.
- As a team, the Bengals shot 36.1% from the field and 34.8% from beyond the three-point arc, and finished the night shooting 71.4% from the free-throw line.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Making their 2026-27 season debut on the road, the Bengals looked to start the year on a hot streak as they faced off against the Springfield College Pride in the 16th Annual Hawks vs. Hunger Tip-Off Tournament, hosted by Hilbert College.
- In the first half, both sides traded baskets, as the Bengals found some rhythm from behind the three-point line. A lull set in midway through the half, as shots became difficult to come by with each side's defense ramping up. While the Pride found some strong looks against the Bengals' defense, the Bengals responded, keeping play even as time ticked along. However, the Bengals' looks at the basket struggled to go down, and the Pride took advantage late, forcing the Bengals to play from behind as they walked into halftime down by seven.
- In the second half, the Bengals saw their deficit grow as the Pride opened the half on an 8-0 run to take a double-digit lead. As the Bengals tried to get the matchup back within single digits, the Pride kept finding chances at the basket to hold their double-digit cushion as the game reached the midway point. However, the Bengals found some rhythm with sharp shooting off the bench, going on a 6-0 run to pull within striking distance. After some strong defensive possessions, the Bengals found a way to tie the game, setting up a fight to the finish. As the Bengals looked to steal a win in the opener, the ball wouldn't bounce their way, as the Pride added a couple of baskets late to pull the game out of the Bengals' grasp.
FOR THE FOES
- Zachary Campbell led all players with 15 points, while RJ Hutt led the Pride with seven rebounds.
- As a team, the Pride shot 41.5% from the field, 25.0% from beyond the three-point arc and 56.7% from the free-throw line.
UP NEXT
The Bengals will look to wipe the slate clean as they return to action tomorrow afternoon in the consolation game against the Penn College Wildcats at 1 p.m.
