GENESEO, N.Y. - SUNY Genseo senior forward Gordon Lyons totaled 17 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, but it was visiting Buffalo State hitting the game-winning free-throw with .4 left in regulation to steal the 87-86 victory, Saturday, in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) men's basketball play.

Buffalo State guard Roderick Epps scored a game-high 30 points, while forward Chris Thompson added 27 points, including the deciding free-throw with .04 on the clock as the Bengals (7-6, 3-4 SUNYAC) made up a nine-point deficit with 1:18 remaining in regulation to earn the victory. 

"Turnovers were the difference for us today, and we missed a lot a free throws which are key in game like this" said head coach Steve Minton. "Buffalo State never quit and did what they had to do to win, while we didn't take advantage of the opportunities we had. This is as tough a loss as I have experienced in my career."

Senior guard Andy Drescher led the Knights with 21 points, while senior guard Connor Rogers added 14 points in the loss for Geneseo (8-5, 4-2 SUNYAC)

In the first half, Buffalo State used a 19-3 run to turn a 4-2 deficit at 16:34 into a 21-7 lead 11:01. Geneseo pulled back within seven, 23-16, at 7:45, but the Bengals climbed back to a 12-point edge, 40-28, with 2:18 on the clock. 

Trailing, 42-32, with  1:32 to play in the first, the Knights pulled within six, 44-38, at halftime.
Buffalo State opened the second half with a three-pointer to take a 47-38 lead at 19:37, but the Knights would ride a 19-2 outburst to take a 57-49 lead with 13:31 on the clock.  

Geneseo led, 60-51, at 11:24, but Buffalo State would tie the game, 63-63, at 7:18 with a 12-3 spurt including seven points from Thompson. Back-to-back three-pointers by Drescher and first-year guard Kevin Crockett and another by Rogers keyed a 9-2 run to put the Knights back up by a seven-point lead, 72-65, at 5:28, 

Trailing by nine, 84-75, with 1:18 remaining in regulation, the Bengals finished the game with an 11-2 run to earn the comeback win. Epps converted a three-point play and, following a pair of missed Knights free throws, guard Jordan Rey connected on a jumper to make it a two-point game, 84-82, with 25 seconds remaining.

Senior forward James McKenna converted a pair of free throws that put the Knights up four, 86-82, with :23 on the clock, but Thompson would answer with a lay-up with 17 seconds to play. On the ensuing in-bounds pass, McKenna was tied up in the corner by guard Chris Cartwright for a jump ball that gave possession back to the Bengals. Thompson tied the game, 86-86, with a lay-up with :07 on the clock. 

Geneseo brought the ball over half court and called timeout to set up a play with :03 remaining, but coming out of the break, Thompson stole the ball and was fouled going in for a lay-up with .04 on the clock. After missing the first attempt, he sank the deciding basket to seal the victory.

Lyons moved into fifth-place on Geneseo's career points list with 1,368 to date, while he also moved into second in career rebounds with 862. 

Geneseo hits the road to take on host Cortland on Tuesday (Jan. 20) at 5:30 p.m.