Senior Tremmell Darden scored a game-high 29 points to help Niagara defeat Canisius Sunday night.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – On senior night, senior Tremmell Darden (Las Vegas) scored a game-high 29 points to lead the Niagara University men’s basketball team to an 83-77 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Canisius College Sunday night in front of a sold-out Gallagher Center (2,400 fans).

The win gives the Purple Eagles (19-8 overall, 13-5 MAAC) the second seed in this weekend’s MAAC Tournament held in Albany. Niagara will face the winner of the Canisius/Iona game on Saturday.

Darden, who made a career-high 15 of 20 free throws, moved into fifth place on the all-time Niagara scoring charts with 1,630 points. He passed Andy Walker (1972-76, 1,620 points) and Joe Arlauckas (1983-87, 1,610 points) with his 29-point performance.

Darden scored 15 of his points in the first half as the Purple Eagles took a 36-32 lead. Niagara built a nine-point lead, 23-14, after a steal and layup by Alvin Cruz (Rio Pedras, Puerto Rico) with 9:43 remaining in the half. That layup capped a 13-6 Niagara run.

Canisius, behind 14 first-half points by Kevin Downey, stormed back to take a 25-23 lead on a Toby Foster basket. Niagara tied the game at 29 on a dunk by Juan Mendez (Montreal, Quebec) and then scored seven of the half’s final 10 points for a 36-32 halftime lead.

While Niagara never gave up the lead in the second half, it could not put away Canisius. The Purple Eagles took a 13-point lead, 67-54, after a pair of free throws by Darden. However, Canisius cut the lead to two points, 70-68, when Yaku Moton-Spruill capped a 5-0 run.

Mendez, Darden and James Reaves (Rochester/Edison Tech) each scored two points to give Niagara a 76-68 lead with 1:32 remaining. Reaves, who snared a season-high 17 rebounds to go with his 16 points, recorded his 12th double-double of the season.

Mendez finished with 19 points. Downey led Canisius with 18 points.

Led by Darden’s career-high performance from the free-throw line, Niagara made 28 of 37 foul shots in the game.