Niagara's career scoring leader - Eva Cunningham |
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Senior Eva Cunningham broke the school scoring record and tallied a career-high 34 points but it wasn’t enough as the Niagara University women’s basketball team lost a heartbreaking 71-68 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament semifinal game to cross-town rival Canisius College Saturday afternoon in HSBC Arena.
The Purple Eagles, who were picked eighth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches poll, finished the season 17-12. The Golden Griffins improved to 20-9 overall and advance to the finals against Marist College Sunday at 11 a.m.
Cunningham ended her four-year career scoring a game- and career-high 34 points. The total was two off the MAAC Tournament scoring record of 36 set by Patty Stoffey twice in 1994. The East Aurora, N.Y., native was 11 of 25 from the field, 3 of 7 from three-point range and 9 of 10 from the free-throw line.
The MAAC Player of the Year also became Niagara’s career scoring leader with 1,753 points. She passed Kim Kuhn who scored 1,734 points between 1989 and 1993. Cunningham broke the scoring mark on a driving layup at the 17:05 mark of the second half.
After a 33-33 halftime tie, Niagara took a 45-38 lead with a 12-0 run. Cunningham netted six-straight points to fuel the run, breaking the school-scoring record with her first basket of the half.
Canisius answered back with four quick points to make it a three-point game, 45-40. The three-pointers then began to fall for both teams. Cunningham, Canisius’ Becky Zak, and sophomore Chantelle Wilson (Burlington, Ont.) combined for five treys in the next six shots to make it 54-50 Niagara with 10:09 left.
After a Jessica Steeves bucket at 9:24, Niagara went on a 9-4 run fueled by Cunningham tallying six of her 19 second-half points during the run. Canisius didn’t go away though. The Golden Griffins worked the score down to 67-64 on a Zak three-pointer, a pair of free throws from Abby Radunske and a Cheri Wittlieb layup. Niagara went 3 for 5 from the foul line during the stretch and was 5 of 12 the final 5:40.
Cunningham missed the first of two free throws with 1:32 left and Steeves made a pair from the charity stripe to trail, 67-64. Sophomore Shaunna Ambrose (McKees Rock, Pa.) hit one of two from the free-throw line and Steeves sank a pair to put Niagara up by only two, 68-66. On the next trip down the floor, Canisius’ Meghan Lyte stole the ball. Cunningham then blocked a Zak three-pointer with :23 left, but then fouled Zak with :16 left. Zak hit the front of the two-shot foul and Lyte got the offensive rebound. Zak converted a three-point play when she drew the foul with a baseline layup with :10 remaining. Cunningham had Niagara’s last shot, driving down the right lane, but three Canisius defenders tied the ball up and Zak was fouled after grabbing the rebound. She sank one of two foul shots for the final score.
Cunningham registered her 21st 20-plus point game of her career, 11th of the season and second of the tournament. Ambrose and sophomore Toni Smalley (Thornville, Ohio) each scored 11 points.
