Freshman Lorenzo Miles

ALBANY – Junior Juan Mendez (Montreal, Quebec) scored five of his team-high 27 points in overtime to help lift Niagara University (20-8) to a 106-92 overtime victory over Iona College (11-18) Saturday in the quarterfinals of the 2004 HSBC Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament in Pepsi Arena.

The Purple Eagles reached overtime when freshman Lorenzo Miles (Washington, D.C.) hit a three-pointer with 38 seconds left in regulation to knot the score at 89. Niagara then opened the overtime period with a 9-0 run with seven of the points coming from the free-throw line. Leading 98-89 with 1:57 left, the Purple Eagles made 8 of 12 free throws and held Iona to three points for the win.

Trailing by eight with 2:13 left in regulation, Niagara mounted a 10-5 run to setup Miles three-pointer. The rookie began the run for the Purple Eagles with a conventional three-point play. Junior Alvin Cruz (Rio Pedras, Puerto Rico) cut the lead to five points with a layup with 1:20 left. Mendez converted a pair of free throws and then got a dunk and another free throw to make it a two-point game, 88-86.

Ricky Soliver made one of two free throws with 49 seconds left before Miles hit the game-tying three-pointer.

Niagara, which trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half, got 20 points from Mendez, 15 from senior Tremmell Darden (Las Vegas, Nev.) in the second half. Darden finished with 21 points, freshman J.R. Duffey (Ft. Worth, Texas) had a career-high 13 points, including three three-pointers. Senior James Reaves (Rochester, N.Y.) had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Miles finished with 10 points.

Iona was led by Soliver with a game-high 31 points.

Niagara plays the winner of the Fairfield-Siena game at 9:45 p.m. Sunday.