Junior Juan Mendez posted his ninth double-double of the year with team highs of 26 points and 13 rebounds. |
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – With four players scoring in double figures, the Niagara University men’s basketball team picked up a 91-82 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Saint Peter’s Saturday afternoon at the Gallagher Center.
Niagara, which improved to 17-8 overall and 11-5 in conference play, made all 12 of its second-half foul shots to secure the victory. The Purple Eagles also shot 53.3 percent (32 of 60) for the game.
Leading the way for Niagara was junior Juan Mendez (Montreal, Quebec) who scored 26 points to go with 13 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. Senior Tremmell Darden (Las Vegas, Nev.) added 18 points and five assists while junior David Brooks (Philadelphia) netted 16 points. Senior James Reaves (Rochester/Edison Tech) added 12 points. Junior Alvin Cruz (Rio Pedras, Puerto Rico) recorded a game-high six assists.
Saint Peter’s Keydren Clark, the nation’s second-leading scorer, recorded a game-high 33 points while Jamie Sowers had 21 points.
After a back-and-forth first 12 minutes, Clark hit a three-point field goal to tie the game at 28 with 7:28 to play in the first half. Niagara responded with a 19-6 run to take a 47-34 lead with 1:37 to play in the half. Fueling that run was seven points by sophomore reserve James Mathis (Newark, N.J.). Niagara led 47-38 at the break.
Saint Peter’s opened the second half with a 16-7 run to tie the score, 54-54, on another Clark three-pointer with 14:04 to play. Niagara used a layup by Reaves and a three-point field goal by Brooks to take a 59-54 lead and never trailed again.
Another Brooks’ three-pointer gave the Purple Eagles a 10-point lead, 70-60, with 8:54 remaining. While Saint Peter’s closed within four points, 83-79, the Peacocks could not get any closer due to Niagara’s 12-of-12 second-half foul shooting.
The Purple Eagles travel to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to meet Marist Thursday in a 7:30 p.m. game at the McCann Center before closing the season against Canisius Feb. 29 at 6 p.m. at the Gallagher Center.
