Senior Eva Cunningham scored a game-high 15 points in Niagara's loss Friday night at Syracuse.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Niagara University women’s basketball team had its chances Friday night at Syracuse’s Manley Field House but the Purple Eagles came up short in a 62-57 loss to the Orange. After holding a 53-52 lead with five minutes remaining in the game, Syracuse used a 9-0 run to take a lead it would not surrender.

Senior Eva Cunningham (East Aurora/Iroquois) scored 14 of her game-high 15 points in the first half. Niagara trailed 15-6 early in the first half but went on a 20-3 run for a 26-19 lead on two free throws by sophomore Jessi Tomasin (Hamilton, Ont./Bishop Ryan). Cunningham scored 10 of her points during that run. Syracuse closed the half with a 15-6 run to take a 34-32 lead into the locker room. Rochelle Coleman’s basket with 47.7 seconds left in the half gave the Orange the lead.

In the second half, Syracuse opened a six-point lead, 40-34, before the Purple Eagles went on an 8-0 run. Sophomore Shaunna Ambrose (McKees Rock, Pa./Vincentian Academy) and Tomasin hit back-to-back three-point field goals before Ambrose knocked down two free throws for a 42-40 lead. Tomasin then gave Niagara a 45-42 lead with another three-point field goal, her second of the game.

Syracuse had a 52-48 lead before another Tomasin three-pointer brought Niagara within one, 52-51. On Niagara’s next possession, freshman Sara Prybyl (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) sank a jump shot to give the Purple Eagles a 53-52 lead with 5:01 to play. However, that would be Niagara’s final field goal on the night. Coleman sank an off-balance, shot clock-beating three-pointer to give Syracuse a 55-53 lead, the start of a 9-0 Orange run.

Ambrose, who scored a career-high 11 points, made two foul shots and sophomore Toni Smalley (Thornville, Ohio/Sheridan) made two free throws of her own to cap the Niagara scoring. In her first career start, Smalley tied her career high with five points and had a personal- and team-high eight rebounds.

Niagara, which falls to 0-1 with the loss, was hampered by 23.3 percent (7-of-30) field-goal shooting in the second half. The Purple Eagles were also outrebounded, 52-33. The much taller Orange also outscored Niagara 40-14 in the paint.

Next up for Niagara will be Vermont at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Gallagher Center in the Purple Eagles’ home opener.