Buffalo State’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will be jumping on the I-90 and traveling to Fredonia to take on the Blue Devils in a SUNYAC “Battle by the Lake” doubleheader this Saturday, beginning at 4 p.m. at Steele Hall Fieldhouse.
Buffalo State’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will be jumping on the I-90 and traveling to Fredonia to take on the Blue Devils in a SUNYAC “Battle by the Lake” doubleheader this Saturday, beginning at 4 p.m. at Steele Hall Fieldhouse.
Men’s basketball (12-6, 6-6) enters the weekend in the sixth and final playoff spot in the conference. Fredonia (8-11, 5-7) sits just a game behind.
The Bengals led the SUNYAC and are 15th in all of Division III in scoring, averaging 88.1 points per game. Buffalo State is also second in the conference with its 46.1 shooting percentage.
The Bengals will get a tough test against Fredonia’s third-ranked conference defense (74.3 points per game). Opponents have shot 40.4 percent against the Blue Devils this season (second in SUNYAC).
Buffalo State’s Lovell Smith (Buffalo/McKinley) averages a team-high 19.8 points to go with 6.7 rebounds per game. Mike Henry (Syracuse/East Genesee) is second with 16.8 points and leads the Bengals with 8.3 boards. Nico McLean (Buffalo/Amherst) rounds out the attack with averages of 15.1 points and 4.9 assists.
It will be the first meeting between the teams this season, with Buffalo State holding a 114-31 all-time advantage against Fredonia.
On the women’s side, Buffalo State (6-13, 3-9) is looking to snap a five-game losing streak. The Bengals have been hit hard by injuries, losing key contributors for long stretches of the season.
Buffalo State has been led this season by Caleh McLean (New Rochelle/New Rochelle), Princella McCullough (Rochester/Bishop Kearney) and Taylor Graham (Santa Rosa, CA/Maria Carrillo). McLean leads the team with 10.6 points per game. McCullough averages a double-double, with 10 points and 11.3 boards per game (33rd in rebounding in Division III). Graham averages a team-high 3.7 assists and chips in seven points per contest.
The Bengals are eighth in the SUNYAC; two games back from the final playoff spot with six games remaining. Fredonia (13-5, 8-4) is currently fourth in conference play.
It is also the first meeting between the women’s teams this season, with Buffalo State holding a 62-19 edge all-time.
Established for the 2014-15 season, the “Battle by the Lake” is a season-long “all sports” competition between Buffalo State and Fredonia. Each sport in which the two schools compete is worth two points annually.
Buffalo State currently trails this year’s competition, 11-3. For more information and complete standings visit http://www.buffalostateathletics.com/sports/2016/7/7/2016-17-battle-by-the-lake.aspx.
Fans can watch the men’s game live here, and the women’s game using this link.
from BuffaloStateAthletics.com via IFTTT
