POTSDAM, N.Y.- Buffalo State (11-7, 7-5 SUNYAC) escaped Jerry Welsh Gymnasium in the final minutes with a 77-74 win over the SUNY Potsdam men's basketball team (2-15, 1-10 SUNYAC) Saturday afternoon. Senior forward Conor Engle (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) recorded a career-high 14 points, while leading the Bears offense and senior forward Larry Rivers (Syracuse, N.Y./Fowler) tallied 18 points for the Bengals.
 
Engle recorded the first six points for the Bears to open the contest. At 14:20, Buffalo State's sophomore guard Rey Jordan (Buffalo, N.Y./McKinley) tied the score on a jumper. A minute later, a Bear turnover turned into a fast-break opportunity for the Bengals and sophomore forward Lovell Smith (Buffalo, N.Y./McKinley) hit the layup to give Buffalo State their first lead of the game. Bengals went on a 6-0 mini run before freshman guard Tishsean Emmanuel (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth) hit from behind the arch. At 9:48, a layup from junior forward Tariq McIntyre (Brooklyn, N.Y./Thomas Jefferson) gave the Bears the lead back and they never relinquished it the rest of the half. Potsdam went on a 23-13 run with senior guard Tom Graf (Elbridge, N.Y./Jordan-Elbridge) knocking down two 3-pointer to close out the first half. The Bears went into halftime with a nine-point lead.
 
The teams traded baskets for most of the second half with Potsdam not allowing Buffalo State to get any closer. Following a three by Rey, senior captain Zac Adams (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) laid it in for two after a block shot from McIntyre to get the Bears their largest lead of the game with 12. The Bengals turned up their offense and went on a 17-10 run before being capped by senior guard Roderick Epps (Uniondale, N.Y./Uniondale) with a three. One free throw by junior guard Joe Estramonte (Greenwich, N.Y./Greenwich) got Buffalo State's lead down to six before the Bengals closed out the game with a 11-2 run to seal the 77-74 win. Epp and senior guard Chris Cartwright (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) combined for 15 of Buffalo State's final 28 points in the closing 11 minutes of the game.
 
The Bears shot 42-percent from the field, while the Bengals ended with 41.9-percent.
 
Senior guard Rishawd Hendricks (Brooklyn, N.Y./Mount Zion Christian Academy) finished with 13 points, while Estramonte and Adams each added 11. Cartwright recorded 15 points and eight boards and teammate Epps chipped in 13 points.
 
The Bears return to the hardwood next weekend when they head to SUNY New Paltz Friday to take on the Hawks at 5:30 p.m. and SUNY Oneonta Saturday at 2 p.m.