Men's Basketball Wins Holiday Inn Title; Women's Basketball Wins to Open Second Semester; Men's Hockey to Open Second Half at Neumann



MEN'S BASKETBALL (6-3/2-1) - Bengals Win Holiday Inn Title



Buffalo State went 2-0 this past weekend, claiming the championship in its own Holiday Inn Invitational.



The Bengals opened play on Friday night against D'Youville. The Spartans strong in the first half, shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 7-9 from beyond the three-point arc. Despite the shooting clinic, the Bengals managed to take a 38-37 lead into the intermission on a late jumper. Buffalo State would relinquish the lead early in the second half, but eventually pulled away to down the Spartans 79-66. Josh Becker (Hamburg/Frontier) led the Bengals with 24 points, and Willie Sanders (Rochester/Aquinas Institute) added 18 points. Perry Davis (Buffalo/Seneca) recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Eleven of Davis' rebounds were on the offensive glass, as the Bengals outrebounded D'Youville 46-27 for the game.



Hilbert earned the right to face the Bengals in the championship game on Saturday by defeating Medaille. Buffalo State opened the game on a 7-0 run, and never looked back, as it built a 47-19 halftime lead into a 75-54 victory. Shawn Haseley (Grand Island/Grand Island) led Buffalo State's scorers with 13 points. Mike Miranto (N. Tonawanda/N. Tonawanda) and Sanders added eight points apiece. Buffalo State owned the paint again, outrebounding the Hawks 42-29.



Buffalo State's Sanders was named MVP of the tournament and Becker represented the Bengals on the All-Tournament Team. The Bengals improved to 6-3 on the season.



Who's Next?



Buffalo State will close out the season 13-consecutive SUNYAC contests, beginning Tuesday night at the Sports Arena when Geneseo visits for an 8 p.m. tip-off. The Bengals will then visit Potsdam on Saturday for a 4 p.m. start.



Closing In?



Buffalo State head coach Dick Bihr recorded win number 398 on Saturday night. He will look to reach the 400-win milestone this week.



WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (9-2/3-0) - Bengals Win to Open Second Semester



Buffalo State return to action Saturday afternoon against Penn State Behrend after nearly a month off. The Bengals showed no signs of rust however, as they cruised to a 78-53 win.



Chrissy Milleville (Niagara Falls/Niagara-Wheatfield) led all scorers with 22 points, and she added five steals. Abby Kochan (Newport/West Canada) tallied a career-high 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Julie Jackson (Syracuse/Bishop Ludden) also scored in double-figures with 12 points. In addition, she added seven assists and set a new Buffalo State record with nine steals. The Bengals forced 38 Penn State Behrend turnovers.



Who's Next?



Buffalo State will look to remain unbeaten in league play when they host Geneseo on Tuesday at 6 p.m. They will then travel to Potsdam on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tip-off.



Tradition?



Buffalo State won its 493rd game on Saturday, as it inched closer to becoming SUNYAC school to reach the 500-win milestone.



MEN'S HOCKEY (7-6/4-3) - Bengals Open Second Half at Neumann



Buffalo State will travel to Philadelphia, PA this weekend for a pair of non-conference games against Neumann College. The Bengals will play at 7:15 p.m. on Friday and at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday.