Sophomore Toni Smalley had a team-high 14 points vs. Marist Thursday.

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Poor shooting in the second half doomed the Niagara University women’s basketball team (14-10, 9-6) as its two-game winning streak was snapped with a 62-43 loss at Marist (18-6, 12-3) Thursday night in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game in the McCann Center.

Trailing 27-26 at halftime, Niagara missed its first 13 shots from the field before freshman Sara Prybyl (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) sank the second of two free throws with 10:58 left in the game. By the time the Purple Eagles recorded their first field goal of the half at the 10:30 mark, Marist had put together a 13-0 run to lead 40-27.

Niagara shot 21.7 percent in the second half, making 5 of 23 field goals, all coming between the 10:30 and 4:09 marks. Senior Eva Cunningham’s (East Aurora, N.Y./Iroquois) three-pointer, to make it 56-38, was the final field goal for the Purple Eagles in the game. Niagara made five free throws the rest of the contest.

Marist, which is ranked fifth in the country in scoring defense (51.3), limited the Purple Eagles to one three-point field goal and only 12 trips to the free-throw line. Niagara came into the game averaging 7.6 three-pointers and 17 trips to the foul line per game.

The Purple Eagles were led offensively by sophomore Toni Smalley (Thornville, Ohio) with 14 points, 12 coming in the first half. Cunningham finished with 12 points and a team-high six assists. Freshman Michelle Manfredi (Jefferson Hills, Pa.) grabbed a squad-best seven rebounds to go with eight points.

Marist was led by Kristin Keller with 25 points and Fifi Camara with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Niagara concludes its brutal six-game road swing with a 1 p.m. game vs. Fairfield on Saturday at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport Conn.