Junior Eva Cunningham and senior Colleen Toetz each scored 21 points to help Niagara beat Youngstown State Sunday.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University women’s basketball team opened the second half with a 20-6 run to pick up a 73-66 non-conference victory over Youngstown State Sunday afternoon at the Gallagher Center. The win pushes Niagara’s home-court win streak to 15 games.

Fueling Niagara’s second-half outburst was junior guard Eva Cunningham (East Aurora, N.Y.) and senior forward Ann Mimm (Girard, Pa.). Cunningham scored 17 of her game-high 21 points in the second half while Mimm netted 10 of her 15 points in the final 20 minutes.

Joining Cunningham and Mimm in double figures were Colleen Toetz (Parma, Ohio) with 21 points and Sarah Heben (Lakewood, Ohio) with 10 points and 10 rebounds. For Heben, the double-double was her second of the season (13-11 vs. Cleveland State).

Youngstown State opened the game by making five of its first eight three-point field goal attempts and the Penguins took a 35-30 lead at the half. Jessica Olmstead scored nine points in the first half to lead YSU. Keeping Niagara in the game on offense was Toetz, who had 13 points and two steals in the first half.

Mimm scored Niagara’s first five points of the second half to tie the game at 35. Cunningham then gave Niagara a 42-39 lead with a three-point field goal off an in-bounds play with 15:58 to play. Cunningham then scored 10 of the Purple Eagle’s next 14 points as they roared to a 56-43 lead in four minutes of play. Mimm later sank a three-pointer for a 62-45 lead with 8:23 remaining.

While Youngstown State cut the lead to six points, 67-61, with a three-point play by Olmstead, Niagara sank its final six foul shots to pick up the victory.

Jen Perugini led Youngstown State with 18 points while Olmstead finished with 15 points.

Niagara’s Jessica Kemp (Niagara Falls, Ont.) led Niagara with five assists and was one of three Purple Eagles to make four steals. Kemp also had nine rebounds.

Niagara, now 5-3, plays Army Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Gallagher Center.