MBB: State University of New York Athletic Conference

[magicman]

Fredonia State at Buffalo State 8 PM

Fredonia opened the season with 5 straight non-conference wins and while none of those victories were over a team with a winning record, one of them was Ithaca College. The 5-8 Bombers have struggled this year with a lot of close losses but over the weekend beat back to back E8 title contenders, St. John Fisher and Nazareth. Those two impressive wins sure make Fredonia's win over Ithaca look a whole lot better. And lets not forget how decisively Nazareth beat Cortland the other night. But league play has been tough on the Blue Devils as they sit in 9th place with a 1-3 conference record. In fairness to Fredonia they have lost to 3 of the top teams in the standings and tonight take on the 2nd place Bengals. Certainly a front loaded, top heavy schedule. Bengals come into tonight's contest after their rude treatment by the University of Buffalo last Wednesday. I suspect the players have already forgotten about that exhibition. It was a no win situation and now they will be focused on the job at hand. Oddsmakers have made the Bengals a 10 point favorite but I think they'll win by a larger margin at home. I'm taking Buffalo State to roll 78-60.     

[magicman]

Upset in the making? Fredonia leads Buffalo St. at the break 43-41. Back and forth play throughout the half with at least 6 ties and 7 lead changes. Hard to tell as the video feed keeps breaking up and the livestats are frozen at 39-36 with 3:11 to go. Bengals had early 9-3 lead but Fredonia caught them at 13. Down 20-17 Bengals go on a 14-3 run to grab the largest lead of the period at 31-23. Blue Devils go on an 11-1 run of their own and retake the lead at 34-32. Bengals tie it up at 39 and teams trade points until the Bengals final attempt goes in and out at the buzzer. Best I can tell due to livestat problem, is that Fredonia's Damien Goodwin leads all scorers with 12 points while the Bengals Ahmed Nagaya has 10. Teams are pretty even in almost all statistical categories. Wish I could get a decent video feed from the Buffalo website. Every time I watch a Bengals game the video quality is very poor. I don't have any problems with all the other video feeds I watch so I'm assuming it must be a media problem with the Bengals and not my computer. I hope they at least correct the livestat problem, but it doesn't look good.     

[thebear]

d3 hoops scoreboard says Oswego loses to Medgar Every 72-68, really bad loss for the 'yac.

Medgar Evers is essentially open admissions in Brooklyn, so never know who shows up from the fertile playgrounds of that basketball rich borough.

[magicman]

New Top 25 poll out a few hours ago and Buffalo State remains at #21. Bengals despite 2 quality wins since the last poll fail to gain any ground. They actually lost 10 points falling from 120 down to 110. Apparently the bad loss to D-I University of Buffalo must have registered with some voters.

Oswego also suffers because of their loss to D-I Texas-Pan American, despite almost pulling off the upset in that game. I would think that effort might have moved them up in the polls.  The Lakers fall from #20 down to #22. They saw their point total drop from 148 down to 102.

Rochester and Hartwick continue to receive votes in the ORV category but both teams with losses last week found their point totals dropping as well. Rochester has tumbled from #27 (59 points) to #36 (13 points).

Hartwick, after their fall from the undefeated ranks with their loss to Alfred, went from #36 (11 points) to #42 (5 points)

[magicman]

Buffalo State only up 71 -67 with 35 seconds to go. Nico McLean just made 2 free throws to make it a two possession game. Fredonia with a timeout and the ball. Fredonia comes down and takes a three and misses but gets the rebound and is fouled. Julius Bryant hits both foul shots. Blue Devils foul Nico McLean again and he makes 1 of 2 with 14 seconds left. Fredonia comes down and goes for 2 instead of three. they make a layup to make it 72-71 but there's only 4 seconds left. Buffalo inbounds the ball to McLean and he gets fouled with 2.2 seconds to go. McLean goes to the line and makes both shots, 74-71. Fredonia with one last chance to tie it up in the final 2 seconds. Fredonia makes a long downcourt pass and loses the ball out of bounds, game over.

[magicman]

Final: Buffalo State 74- Frdonia State 71

Good effort by the Blue Devils to almost pull off the upset in Buffalo. The 2nd half was more of the same with 7 ties and 7 lead changes. Buffalo State forged ahead by 6 points at 60-54 with 7:52 to play. this would be the largest margin of the period. An 11-2 Blue Devil swing put Fredonia in front for their largest lead of the half at 65-62. The Bengals caught them at 67, went ahead on a steal and 2 free throws by Jake Simmons and never lost the lead. Nico McLean was huge down the stretch hitting 5 of 6 free throws inside the final 35 seconds. he ended up 7 for 8 from the line. As a team the Bengals hit 12 of their final 13 foul shots and were 16 for 20 in the 2nd half. Key plays in the game occured after the Bengals tied it at 67, Fredonia went to the line on their next possession and missed both free throws with 2:27 to go. Bengals came down, missed a three point attempt and Fredonia blew a chance to take the lead when Jake Simmons stole the ball. He was fouled and his two ft's gave Buff State the lead. Needing a basket, the Blue Devils missed a three point attempt, got the rebound and turned it over on a traveling call with 1:15 to play. That set the stage for McLean's heroics at the charity stripe. 

Bengals placed 4 players in double figures. Justin Mitchell had 17, (6x9 fg,0x1 3's 5x7 ft)  and just missed another double double with 9 rebounds. He also had 4 blocks, 2 assists and a steal. Ahmed Nagaya had 14 points (6x10 fg, 2x4 ft) before fouling out with 7:27 left to play. Roderick Epps scored 11 points (3x6 fg, 2x5 3's, 4x6 ft) and Nico McLean had 11 (2x5 fg, 0x2 3's 7x8 ft). Bengals didn't have a great night shooting the rock going 25x59 (42.4%) from the field. Their 3 point attempts weren't good only going 2x13 (14.3%) from downtown. Their foul shooting especially in the 2nd half helped carry the load. They were 22x30 (73.3%) from the stripe. They lost the rebounding war 40 to 37 but won the turnover battle with 16 to 22 for Fredonia.

Blue devils also had 4 players with double figures. Damien Goodwin (7x12 fg, 3x6 3's, 3x3 ft) and Julius bryant (8x11 fg, 4x7 ft) shared scoring honors for the game as they both tossed in 20 points. Both were also close to a double double as Bryant had 9 boards and Goodwin had 7. Leonard Smith added 14 pts (3x7 fg, 8x11 ft) and Kevin Mitchell had 11 (4x11fg, 0x1 3's, 3x3 ft). Devils shot 23x57(40.4%) from the field,  and like the Bengals struggled from long distance hitting only 3 of 13 (23.1%). They also knocked down their free throws hitting 22x28. (78.6%).

Buffalo State improves to 11-2 overall, 4-1 in conference play. They'll hit the road this weekend to face Brockport on Frday night and Geneseo on Saturday afternoon. 

Fredonia falls to 6-5 overall and 1-4 in the YAC. And like their travel partner, they will next be in action against the same teams as Buff State this weekend. 

[magicman]

Ryan Riefenhauser from Geneseo State has been named the SUNYAC Player of the Week for the week ending January 7th. Here's the write up from the SUNYAC website:

MEN'S BASKETBALL – Geneseo

Ryan Riefenhauser (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Dobbs Ferry), junior forward

Junior Ryan Riefenhauser averaged 15 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals in two games for Geneseo to start 2012 as the Knights have doubled their number in the wins column from the first semester. He posted 12 points in the 90-81 win over D'Youville on Monday night. He completed his stat line with nine rebounds and a career high six assists. Saturday afternoon he scored a game-high 18 points, including the go-ahead layup with 3:16 remaining, as Geneseo edged Cortland, 63-60, in a SUNYAC matchup. Riefenhauser hit 8-of-14 shots from the floor and also grabbed eight rebounds.

[magicman]

Two games tonight in League action.

Potsdam at New Paltz at 6 PM

The Bears travel south to take on the Hawks in a matchup of two teams headed in opposite directions. Bears coming off back to back losses over the holidays to fall to 4-7 on the year. Bigger loss is scoring leader Curtis Pierce, who is questionable for tonight's game. Hawks coming off back to back wins, most recently at St. John Fisher, as they even their record to 5-5. Tied with Geneseo for 4th place in the standings, New Paltz will look to keep the lead for that all important 1st round home playoff game. Posted line has the Hawks favored by 11. That's assuming Pierce plays for the Bears. If he doesn't this one could get ugly. Either way the Hawks should win this one. I'll say it's going to be 78-62 New Platz.

Plattsburgh at Oneonta 6 PM

These Red Dragons still looking for their first conference win. Cardinals looking to keep pace with New Paltz. Home loss to Geneseo in December could come back to haunt Plattsburgh, especially if they end up in a tie with the Blue Knights. Cardinals coming off 2 losses over the holidays down in Florida have been practicing hard all week. Oneonta on a 10 game losing streak, need a conference win desperately. Oddsmakers show visiting Cardinals as 1 point favorites. Oneonta has played both Buffalo State and Fredonia tough on their home court and I expect this one to be a close game as well. I think the Cards will prevail 72-66.

[magicman]

Oneonta State leads Plattsburgh State 32-31 at the half. Back and forth the entire period with numerous lead changes and ties. Neither team could gain much of a lead. Plattsburgh's largest advantage was 15-10 while the Red Dragons held a 23-16 lead. The Cards had a 10-2 spurt to retake the lead at 26-25. Teams trade baskets until Oneonta hit 2 free throws with 8 seconds left and a 3 point attempt by the Cards at the buzzer was off the mark. Dan Lee has 9 points to lead Oneonta. Cards got 11 points from frosh Shamoy McIntosh and 8 points from Shavar Fields.

[magicman]

Potsdam and New Paltz are knocking down shots from all over the place and go into the break with the Bears up 53-50. Both teams are shooting 60% or better and both are also hitting their 3 point attempts at over 55%. Between them they hit 11 shots from downtown. New Paltz enjoyed an early 17-10 advantage but the Bears came right back to recapture the lead 21-20 and extend it to 24-20. Bears largest lead was 31-26, but Hawks erased that to go back on top 35-33. Several more ties until the Hawks broke loose for a 50-47 edge. Bears then scored the final 6 points of the period to make the halftime score 53-50. Bears led by Rob Duquette with 13, Josh Lambert with 12, and Tony Efese with 9. Hawks got 48 of their 50 points from Matt Devine (21), Harris Wichard (16), and Nick Taldi with 11.

[magicman]

Final score in Oneonta: Plattsburgh State 70  Oneonta State 61

[magicman]

New Paltz State hangs on to defeat Potsdam State 96-87.

[thebear]

Think they had a bit of help from the zebras. 

Bears got the margin down to three with :30 to play.  Took a time out, plan is to play defense, get a stop, keep it to a one possession game.  Pierce appears to stop Devine, zebras call a foul, Dobbs gets a T, Devine (who hung a mere 43 on the Bears) makes all 4 FT's Margin now 7 [game over].

Hawks got 90 out of Devine, Taldi, Wichard, down to nine players, not sure what happened there, but they have three pretty good ones.

Bears went 7 minutes without scoring from 10:30 - 3:30, and still managed to score 87 points WTF.

Shoulda woulda coulda.

[bearnation]

New Paltz dressed 9 finished with 8 #33 went down  half way through the second half.  New Paltz didn't need help from the refs Potsdam played undisciplined late in the second half, couldn't make layups and they received 2 T's late in the game one from the bench. UNEXCUSEABLE Potsdam was up by 9 with 12/13 minutes left and then couldn't make a shot.  Then they play Mike D'Antonii matador defense and the rest was history.  New Paltz never gave up and they deserved the W.  If I were Potsdam I would shake my head and be ashamed because it was a horrible horrible L.  How does a college team not have a point guard.  Maybe I'm wrong but late in the second half it looked like they were playing with 5 bigs.  No one knew what to do with the ball and New Paltz out hustled them.  Finally how does the freshman from Potsdam(the town) play so many minutes,  He is not ready and it showed.  Potsdam is in trouble going into the SUNYAC schedule.  FYI, to the rest of the conference My game plan would be to  run New Paltz unless they can find someone to suit up!

[bearnation]

The bench  T wasn't on Dobbs it was on one of his players.  Like I said undisciplined and they are in trouble!!!  There will not be a good end to this season for Potsdam