Women's Basketball Claims Regular Season Title; Women's Hockey Clinches Playoffs Behind Keddie's Shutouts; Heartbreak in SUNYAC Playoffs for Men's Hockey; Indoor Track and Field Claims Four Championships and Break Two School Records at SUNYACs; Undersized Swimming and Diving Squads Post Impressive Results at SUNYAC Meet; Men's Basketball Loses Two of Three, but Finish Second



WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (22-3/15-1) - Bengals Claim Regular Season Title



Buffalo State won its final three games of the regular season this past week, defeating Geneseo, Cortland and Oswego, and clinched the SUNYAC regular season championship.



On Tuesday, Buffalo State traveled to Geneseo and emerged with a 70-49 victory. The Bengals took their first lead at 15:23 of the first-half, and never looked back. Chrissy Milleville (Niagara Falls/Niagara-Wheatfield) led the Bengals with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting and hit on 3-of-4

from beyond the three-point arc. Freshman Oahdhi Brown (Syracuse/Corcoran) and Cora Humphreys (New York/Grace H. Dodge) each scored 10 points, and Monica Polka (Youngstown/Lewiston-Porter) recorded eight points and 10 rebounds. Buffalo State held Geneseo to just 25.4 percent shooting from the field.



Cortland visited the Sports Arena on Friday night with the regular season SUNYAC title on the line. Buffalo State took a 24-20 lead at halftime, and pulled away in the second half, leading by as many as 16 points, before winning 66-57. Abby Kochan (Newport/West Canada) and Milleville led the Bengals with 13 points and six rebounds apiece. Polka posted a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Julie Jackson (Syracuse/Bishop Luden) added 10 points and Monique Hanks (Liverpool/Liverpool) scored nine points and had a career-high three blocked shots. The Bengals had eight blocks in all.



Buffalo State closed out the regular season at home against Oswego on Saturday. The Lakers gave the Bengals fits in the first half, owning a three-point lead at the break, but Buffalo State tightened its defense in the second half and earned a 74-63 victory. Polka led the Bengals with 21 points and eight boards, Milleville scored 19, and Kochan added 18. Buffalo State forced 22 Oswego turnovers, compared to just 12 committed.



Buffalo State closed out the regular season on a 10-game winning streak with a 22-3 overall record and a 15-1 mark in SUNYAC play.



Who's Next?



Buffalo State will open the 2002 SUNYAC Championship at the Utica War Memorial on Thursday at 8 p.m. against Oswego. The Bengals have won all three previous meetings with the Lakers this season. If Buffalo State advances, it will play in the semifinals on Friday at 8 p.m. against the Oneonta/Plattsburgh winner. The championship game is on Saturday at 4 p.m.



Following the Footsteps?



Buffalo State has won eight SUNYAC Championships in school history, with the most recent title coming at the end of the 1993-94 season.



Lone Loss?



Buffalo State beat every team in the conference during the regular season. The team's only loss in conference play came at Oneonta on January 19, when the Red Dragons pounded the Bengals 62-35. Buffalo State won its previous meeting with Oneonta 54-32 on December 7.



WOMEN'S HOCKEY (6-13-1/6-12-1) - Bengals Clinch Playoffs Behind Keddie's Shutouts



The Buffalo State Bengals secured the fourth and final playoff spot of the inaugural ECAC West playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Cortland Red Dragons. Behind the impenetrable goaltending of sophomore Mary Keddie (Williamsville/Buffalo Bisons), Buffalo State tied (0-0) and

defeated (1-0) Cortland in the final two-game series of the season.



In the first game of the series, Cortland, attempting to salvage its playoff hopes, fired 31 shots on goal trying to knock the Bengals out of win or a tie to advance to the playoffs, the Bengals entered Sunday's contest knowing that a single goal could be enough with Keddie between the pipes. Sophomore forward, Jessica DeCarlo (Liverpool/Syracuse Stars) scored that goal in the second period of play. DeCarlo's game-winner was assisted by Kasey Cornwell (Lapeer, MI/Birmingham Rangers) and Bree Cote (Copperton, UT/Aspen Avalanche). With a one-goal lead, Keddie was able to secure the victory by stopping a barrage of shots by the Red Dragons. Keddie was again the difference-maker stopping all of Cortland's 28 shots to preserve the victory.



Who's Next?



The Bengals now travel to Elmira who is hosting the ECAC West playoffs. The Bengals play Elmira 3:30 P.M. Saturday for the fifth time this season. The Bengals are looking to upset the top-seeded Soaring Eagles. Buffalo State was 0-4 versus Elmira in the regular season.



In the dance:



The four qualifying teams in the ECAC West tournament are Elmira Soaring Eagles, Plattsburgh Cardinals, Utica Pioneers, and the Buffalo State Bengals.



MEN'S HOCKEY (11-15-1/5-7-1) - Heartbreak in SUNYAC Playoffs; Bengals Fall in Mini-Game



Buffalo State closed out its regular season on Tuesday with a six-game winless skid, but made an impressive run in its first-round playoff series at Cortland, before eventually falling in a mini-game.



The Bengals played their final home game on Tuesday, against Fredonia. The Blue Devils ended Buffalo State's regular season on a sour note with a 4-2 defeat. Fredonia opened the scoring just 1:56 into the game. Joe Urbanik (Calumet City, IL/Waterloo) answered for Buffalo State

midway through the period, but the Blue Devils would score the next three goals in the contest. Kevin Badura (W. Seneca/W.Seneca HS) would add a late goal for Buffalo State, but Fredonia hung on, despite Buffalo State holding a 35-30 advantage in shots-on-goal.



Buffalo State made its first-ever SUNYAC playoff appearance at Cortland on Friday. The Bengals outplayed the Red Dragons in all facets of the game, scoring in each period on route to a 4-0 win. Buffalo State was 1-for-3 with the man-advantage and killed all five man-down situations.

Goaltender Nick Berti (Orchard Park/Ft. Erie) made 37 saves for his first career shutout. Todd Nowicki (Tonawanda/Wheatfield Blades) led the Bengals offensive attack with three goals. Henry Jurek (E. Amherst/Niagara Scenics) tallied the other Buffalo State goal, and Urbanik

added two assists.



The Bengals needed a win or a tie on Saturday night to advance to the semifinals. Buffalo State appeared ready to do just that when Josh Bluman (Williamsville/Ft. Erie) gave the Bengals a 2-0 lead 5:59 in the second period with his second goal of the game. Cortland struck on the power-play with its first goal of the weekend midway through the game. The Bengals maintained the 2-1 advantage until 8:31 of the final period when the Red Dragons finally notched the equalizer. Cortland then exploded for three more goals in a span of 2:39, and stunned the Bengals with a 5-2 defeat.



With the series tied at 1-1, the teams cleared the ice for an intermission and then returned for a 20-minute mini-game to determine the winner. The extra game was a defensive battle until Cortland tallied the lone goal with just over five minutes to play. With the 1-0 win, Cortland clinched

a semifinal meeting at Plattsburgh and ended Buffalo State's season.



Buffalo State finished the year with an 11-15-1 overall record and a 5-7-1 mark in SUNYAC play.



Player of the Year?



Buffalo State senior Todd Nowicki (Tonawanda/Wheatfield Blades) finished his career in style, as he was named the SUNYAC's Player of the Year, becoming the first Buffalo State player to earn the honor. He finished his career as the Bengals all-timelmen's track and field made an impressive showing at the SUNYAC Championship finishing third out of eight teams. This was the highest finish for the Men's Indoor Track and Field team in a major competition since Buffalo State finished third in the 1982-83 New York State Collegiate Track & Field Association Championships. Leading the way for the men were Markus Allen (Commack/St. John's the Baptist) and John Lesure (Rochester/Greece-Athena). In the 55-meter dash, Allen and Lesure finished first (6.49) and second (6.61) respectively. Allen's time met NCAA Provisional Qualifying standards. Aaron Kinard (Queens/Springfield Gardens) placed fifth in the 55-meter race with a time of 6.69. The Bengals continued their display of speed as Allen placed second (22.66) and Kinard fifth (23.05) in the 200-meter competition.



In the long distance competition, Joe Halter (Cheektowaga/Maryvale) achieved a top-six place finish with his time of 1:09.56 in the 500-meter race. Senior Joe Niezgoda (Alden/Alden) earned a fifth place finish in the 1500-meter race with his 4:11.98 split.



Lesure complimented his impressive track results with his domination of the triple jump and long jump competition. Lesure won the triple jump with a distance of 13.88 meters and also took first in the long jump with a distance of 6.97 meters. Dan Conti (West Seneca/Maryvale) placed fourth in long jump competition with his mark of 6.50 meters. Finally, Luis Espinosa (Medina/Medina) contributed with another remarkable first place finish in the shot put competition. Espinosa hurled a season's best 14.51 meters to take top honors.



In relay events, the squad of Matt Kubiak (Lake View/Frontier), A.J. Walsh (Hamburg/Frontier), Halter, and Niezgoda placed second and set a new school best in the 4x800-meter relay with a scorching time of 8:16.54. In the 4x400-meter relay, the team of Allen, Conti, Kinard, and

Eugene Overton (Syracuse/Cocoran) placed third with a time of 3:31.33. Surprising the competition, Coach Eugene Lewis fielded Buffalo State's first distance medley squad of the season. Overton sprinted the 400-meter leg, Chris Lape (Millbrook/Millbrook) ran the 800-meter section, Kubiak tackled the 1200-meter portion, and Walsh anchored the final 1500 meters. The medley team finished fourth with a school record time of 11:01.09.



The women placed eighth out of the eight-team field, but had gritty performances from their leaders. Nicole Rowland (Brooklyn/Stephen Austin) placed fourth in the triple jump with a distance of 10:58 meters. The Hensel sisters each had sixth-place finishes to help the women's side. Junior Autumn Hensel (Akron/Akron) raced to a time of 1:24.46 in her 500-meter dash, while senior Danielle Hensel (Akron/Akron) came in at 5:10.93 in the 1500-meter competition.



The women placed sixth in both the 4x400-meter and 4x800-meter relays. Autumn Hensel, Mimi Mason (Buffalo/Turner Carroll), Rowland, and Emily Balzano (New Hartford/New Hartford) raced to a 4:27.16 finish in the 4x400-meter relay. Danielle Hensel, Paige Patterson (Newfane/Newfane), Semone Reynolds (Austell, GA/South Cobb), and Mariah Brakey legged out the 4x800 in 11:33.95.



What's Next?



Buffalo State will look to build on last week's success at the NYSCTC Championships this Saturday at St. Lawrence.



SWIMMING & DIVING (Men: 3-7; Women 4-7) Undersized Bengal Squads Post Impressive Results at SUNYAC Meet



The long-awaited SUNYAC Championships finally arrived Thursday at the E.C.C. Burt Flickinger Aquatic Center. The men scored 299 points and the women totaled a score of 226 to secure their fifth-place finishes. Four school records were broken during the championship tournament.



Pacing the men's side was junior Matt Helming (Amherst/Sweet Home) as he set a school record with his third place 200-yard freestyle finish with a time of 1:47.12. Oplit. Helming also anchored the record setting 200-yard freestyle relay that included Jamie Scott (Endicott/Union Endicott), Paul Glieco (Williamsville/Williamsville South), and Mark Beyer (West Seneca/West Seneca East). The relay squad came in second place with a time of 1:27.23. The four swimmers also raced to a remarkable come-from-behind second place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of

3:13.51. Scott, Beyer, Glieco, and Helming earned All-SUNYAC honors placing fourth in the 200-yard and 400-yard medley relays, going 1:39.69 and 3:44.23 respectively. Jamie Scott recorded a fourth place finish in the 50-yard freestyle (22.01) and a sixth place showing in the 200-yard

breaststroke (2:15.12).



For the women, seniors Leslie Seier (Palmyra/Palmyra-Macedon) and Natalie Brown (Derby/Odessa-Montour) closed out their collegiate careers by setting new school records. Leslie Seier ripped through the E.C.C. pool in preliminary qualifying rounds of the 50-yard freestyle setting a new Buffalo State record at 25.36. Seier also finished in the top six in the 200-yard freestyle competition with a time of 2:02.80. Natalie Brown made sure she left her mark on the Buffalo State record books with her seventh place finish in the 400-yard IM. Brown smashed the school record with her time of 4:57.70.



In relay events, the women earned All-SUNYAC honors finishing fifth in both the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relay. Marie Ryer (Buffalo/Hutch Tech), Brown, Seier, and Alicia Tutwiler (Grand Island/Grand Island) finished the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:44.33 and the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:52.02.



The medley team of Janessa Wheeler (Rochester/Hilton), Brown, Seier, and Tutwiler also recorded fifth place finishes in the 200-yard (1:59.43) and 400-yard (4:24.24) medley relay events.



In diving, Denise Wolff (Cheektowaga/Maryvale) earned a sixth place finish in the one-meter event with a score of 275.90 points, and Tom Schillke (Tonanwanda/Sweet Home) placed fifth in the three-meter competition by earning 335.55.



MEN'S BASKETBALL (15-7/11-5) - Bengals Lose Two of Three, but Finish Second



Buffalo State won just one-of-three games this past week, but sewed up the number-two seeding in the SUNYAC playoffs.



On Tuesday, Buffalo State visited Geneseo and fell behind 28-22 in the first half, and could not overcome the deficit as they dropped a 59-53 decision. Josh Becker (Hamburg/Frontier) led all scorers with 18 points. Jeremy Konst (Williamsville/Williamsville East) scored 14 points and Willie Sanders (Rochester/Aquinas Institute) added 12.



Buffalo State needed a win on Friday to clinch the second seeding, and started the game on a 9-0 run and cruised to a 78-52 victory. Shawn Haseley (Grand Island/Grand Island) and Becker led the Bengals with 16 points each. Jeremy Konst scored in double-figures for the second straight game, adding 10 points and seven assists. Cortland turned the ball over 19 times, compared to Buffalo State's 10. The Bengals shot 56.6 percent from the field.



On Saturday, Buffalo State spotted Oswego a 12-point lead at the break, and could not comeback, as they lost 80-73. Pat Adams (Brooklyn/Boys and Girls) led the Bengals with 20 points. Perry Davis (Buffalo/Seneca) tallied a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Drew Mclaren (White Plains/Iona Prep) added 11 points. The Bengals committed 18 turnovers. Oswego's Michael O'Steen scored 36 points, including hitting on 14-of-14 from the free-throw line.



Buffalo State finished the season 15-7 overall and 11-5 in SUNYAC play. The Bengals finished second behind Brockport in the regular season standings.



Who's Next?



Buffalo State enters the SUNYAC playoffs as the number-two seed, and will open tournament play on Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Cortlan at 1 p.m.



Formidable Foe?



Buffalo State defeated every team in the SUNYAC except Oswego this season. The Lakers won both meetings with the Bengals.



A Winning Tradition?



Buffalo State will look to win its 11th SUNYAC Championship this weekend. The teams last Championship came in 1997.