Katie Pitcher dominated the boards and blocked a pair of shots.
Five players scored in double digits as the Fredonia women's basketball team hung on for a thrilling 80-76 win in its conference opener vs. SUNY Buffalo State on Saturday. The Devils led by 15 early in the fourth quarter. The Bengals would pull within two in the final minute before a Rae White (North Collins /Lake Shore) free throw sealed the game.
Four starters scored in double digits. Jenna Einink (Westfield/Chautauqua Lake) had 20 points, White had 16, Anna Chiacchia (Hamburg/Hamburg) had 14, and Sarah Sweazy (Rochester, N.Y./Rush Henrietta) had 12. Sydney Turley (Cheektowaga/Cleveland Hill) added 13 off the bench.
Freshman Katie Pitcher (Fulton/Hannibal) added 10 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots, and White had five steals. The Devils improve to 2-3 overall, and 1-0 in the SUNYAC.
The Bengals were paced by Liv LeBaron with 37 points and 13 rebounds. Princella McCullough added 16 points, and Katie Villiarini added 10 points and 5 steals.
Buffalo State shot out of the gate with a quick 8-0 lead, thanks to LeBaron. The junior guard took the opening tip, converted a layup, nailed a three off a quick steal, and converted a traditional three-point play inside the first minute.
Fredonia responded by stepping up its offense and would tie the Bengals midway through the first quarter
Chiacchia drove the lane, converted a layup and was fouled to tie the game at 13-all at the 4:45 mark. She missed the ensuing free throw which would have given Fredonia its first lead.
Chaicchia tied the game again at 20 with a three pointer. A jumper from the elbow by Turley put the Devils up 22-20, a lead they would take into the first break.
LeBaron had 13 for the Bengals in the opening quarter.
A three by Einink early in the second quarter gave Fredonia a 27-21 lead. Buffalo State scored the next 11 points for a 32-29 lead.
Fredonia maintained its composure and made it a one-point game by the half. A steal and coast-to-coast, contested layup by White made it 39-38 with 50 seconds left. The teams traded a pair of baskets and the half ended with Buff State up, 41-40.
Rae White's layup brought the Devils within one point, 39-38.
Chiachia had 9 points to lead the Devils, and Einink had 8. LeBaron had 22 points to pace Buff State.
Fredonia opened the second half with a thee pointer by White and a pair of free throws by Sweazy to take a 45-41 lead.
From there, the game saw three ties and a pair of lead changes before Fredonia rallied late in the third quarter.
Leading 55-53, layup by Sweazy, a free throw by Chiacchia, and a three by Einink -- her fourth of the game – gave Fredonia its biggest lead to that point, 61-53, with 1:49 left in the third.
Three possessions later, White drove the baseline and made an uncontested layup for a 64-54. A foul just as the buzzer went off sent Buffalo State's Villiarini to the line, who nailed both free throws, made it an eight-point contest.
Einink and White both had seven points in the third quarter.
Einink began the final frame with a jumper and a three, 69-56, giving the Devils the biggest lead of the game at 15 points.
Buffalo State whittled away at the lead. A three by Licata with 2:00 left to play made it 78-74. LeBaron followed with a fast break off a miss to cut the Fredonia lead to two, 78-76.
Buffalo State got a quick steal and a three attempt, but it rattled out of the rim.
The Bengals caused a turnover on an errant pass with 24 seconds left. Coming out of a timeout, Buffalo State missed a wide open layup, but grabbed the rebound. Chiacchia stole the ball, and was fouled with 14.6. She made the first of two free throws, making it 79-76, and leaving the door open for the Bengals.
LeBaron missed a long three for Buffalo State, and White would ice the game for Fredonia making the second of two free throws with 7.6 seconds left.
Buffalo State falls to 5-2 overall and 0-1 in the SUNYAC. The Devils – winners of two in a row – look to make it three straight when they return to Dods Hall on Tuesday for a non-conference tilt vs. Alfred State.
