Buffalo State will host the Women’s Basketball SUNYAC Final Four this Friday and Saturday for the first time since 1992. 

Friday, February 24 – Semifinals
#3 Oneonta vs. #2 New Paltz – 6 p.m.
#5 Cortland vs. #1 Buffalo State – 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 25 – Championship
Winners of Semifinals – 4 p.m.

Tickets will be available at the door for $5 for the public and $2 for students.  The first 200 Buffalo State students with valid ID will be admitted free.

Official tournament web site:  http://www.buffalostateathletics.com/WBB_FinalFour

About the Buffalo State Bengals:

Buffalo State set a school record with 23 regular season wins and is one win shy of equalling the school standard for total wins in a season.  The Bengals are currently riding a 12-game winning streak and advanced through the quarterfinals with a 64-56 win over Fredonia behind 21 points and 10 rebounds from Bianca Smiley (Amherst/Sweet Home).

Buffalo State has won a league-best nine SUNYAC Championships, but has not captured a title since 2002, the longest drought in school history.  The Bengals victory on Tuesday marked their first playoff win since 2003.

Buffalo State ranks second in the SUNYAC in scoring offense (67.9 ppg) and defense (53.1 ppg).  Sophomore Smiley is the fifth leading scorer in the league (14.2 ppg) and is second in rebounding (8.9 rpg).  A pair of 1,000-point scorers bolster the Bengals’ attack, as junior Staci McElroy (Saratoga Springs/Saratoga Springs) leads the league as an 82-percent free-throw shooter and ranks in the top-10 in scoring (11.9 ppg).  Senior Barb Kiliszek (Depew/Lancaster) also averages scoring in double-digits, and leads the league with 103 steals and third with 104 assists.

About the Cortland Red Dragons:

Cortland set a SUNYAC tournament record, hitting 14 of 40 3-point attempts in its quarterfinal victory at Geneseo, slipping past the Knights, 70-64, in overtime.    Brittany Cohen was 6 of 17 from beyond the arc and tallied a game-high 25 points to go with 10 assists.

Cortland owns seven SUNYAC titles, with the most recent crown coming with a 51-45 win over New Paltz in the 2010 title game.  The Red Dragons owned a 16-game winning streak against Buffalo State entering this season that dated back the 2002 SUNYAC Championship game when the Bengals won, 56-50.  Buffalo State swept the regular-season series this season.

Cortland features the SUNYAC’s most potent offense, averaging 68.6 points-per-game.  Much of the Red Dragons’ offensive prowess comes from being the top 3-point shooting team in the league, connecting on 33-percent of its attempts, making 222 shots from long range.  Cohen is the third-leading scorer in the league, averaging 15.6 points, and is second in the conference with 48 3-pointers, and ranks first with 144 assists.

About the New Paltz Hawks:

New Paltz has won nine-consecutive games, including a 49-44 overtime win at Oneonta in the regular-season finale, and an 81-69 victory over Plattsburgh in Tuesday’s quarterfinal.  Shanay Bradley had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Alex McCullough added 21 points in the win over the Cardinals.

New Paltz is in search of its first SUNYAC Championship.  The Hawks dropped a 71-66 decision to Oneonta in last year’s semifinals, and lost to Cortland, 51-45, in the 2010 title game.  New Paltz also advanced to the semifinals in 2007 and 2008.

New Paltz leads the SUNYAC in shot blocking and steals, averaging 4.3 and 13.2 per-game respectively.  The Hawks rank second-last in the conference in 3-pointers made with 91.  Senior forward Bradley leads the conference, averaging 9.0 rebounds-per-game, and also has a league-best 34 blocks.  Alex McCullough ranks seventh in the SUNYAC, averaging 13.0 points-per-game.

About the Oneonta Red Dragons:

Oneonta dropped its final two regular-season games to fall from first to third entering the playoffs.  The Red Dragons bounced back with a quarterfinal victory over Oswego, prevailing 53-40.  Oneonta led 35-17 at halftime and cruised to the win, led by Alyshia Crawford’s 13 points.

Oneonta is making its fifth straight appearance in the SUNYAC semifinals.  The Red Dragons advanced to the title game last season, where they lost to Geneseo, 55-48.  Oneonta is 2-3 all-time in SUNYAC Championship games, capturing titles in 1998 and 2001.

Oneonta boasts the top-scoring defense in the SUNYAC, allowing just 52.9 points-per-game against.  The Red Dragons are also the No. 1 free throw shooting team in the conference, connecting on 71-percent of their attempts from the charity stripe.  Senior forward Samantha Szkotak is the leading scorer for Oneonta, ranking sixth in the SUNYAC, averaging 13.4 points-per-game.  She ranks fourth in school history with 1,216 career points in 106 games.