Senior Colleen Toetz scored a game-high 21 points in her final regular-season game at the Gallagher Center Sunday afternoon.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – A 17-0 second-half run powered the Canisius College women’s basketball to a 79-68 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Niagara University Sunday afternoon at the Gallagher Center.

The run, which gave the Golden Griffins a 60-45 lead with 8:37 to play, was aided by Niagara missing 10 consecutive field goal attempts and committing two turnovers. Canisius’ Cheri Wittlieb scored eight of her 13 points during that run.

Niagara got a game-high 21 points from senior Colleen Toetz (Parma, Ohio) while classmate Jessica Kemp (Niagara Falls, Ont.) had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Eva Cunningham (East Aurora/Iroquois) had 13 points, 11 in the first half, to go with a game-high five steals. Senior Ann Mimm (Girard, Pa.) had 11 points and five assists.

The Purple Eagles and Golden Griffins battled in the first half with the lead changing six times. Canisius scored the half’s final five points, three coming on a shot by Wittlieb. Becky Zak, who finished with 18 points and 10 assists, sank all three of her three-point field goal attempts to score 11 first-half points. Jenel Stevens and Lonnie Brown scored 15 and 10 points, respectively.

After the see-saw first half, both teams continued to trade baskets in the first five minutes of the second period. Kemp scored six of her points to open the second half before a Mimm three-point field goal gave the Purple Eagles a 45-43 edge - the ninth lead change of the contest. However, Canisius then went on its 17-0 run and cruised to victory.

Kemp’s 17 points pushed her into 14th on the Niagara all-time charts with 1,110 points. She passed Joan Thornton early in the second half. She needs three points to move into 13th place.

Niagara, now 18-9 overall and 12-6 in the MAAC, enters next week’s MAAC Tournament as the third seed. Canisius improved to 17-10 overall and 12-6 in conference play.