Sophomore Charron Fisher had a team-high 14 points in the loss at Iona Sunday.

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Iona College’s Kiril Wachsmann scored 12 second-half points to help keep the Niagara University men’s basketball team (3-9, 0-4) at bay and win 73-55 Sunday afternoon in the Hynes Athletic Center.

After trailing by seven points, the Purple Eagles went on an 8-2 run, capped by a Barry Durosier (Orlando, Fla.) three-pointer, to pull within four, 54-50. But Washman scored the next six points to ignite a 17-2 Iona run and put the Gaels (9-3, 3-1) ahead for good.

Niagara was led by sophomore Charron Fisher (Pennsauken, N.J.) with 14 points. Junior Lorenzo Miles (Washington, D.C.) added 11 points and classmate J.R. Duffey (Ft. Worth, Texas) had a team-high 11 rebounds.

Leading by just four points, 37-33, at halftime, Iona opened the second half with a quick four-point run to take a 41-33 lead. Niagara responded with a Miles’ layup and a traditional three-point play from sophomore Stanley Hodge (Washington, D.C.) to cut the lead to to three points. After two Gael baskets, Duffey and Fisher had back-to-back tallies to make it 45-42, the closest Niagara would get the rest of the game.

Niagara battle poor shooting for most of the first half, trailing by as many as 15 with 3:14 left to play, but it bounced back late in the period when Fisher and junior Cliff Brown (Ferndale, Mich.) each tallied five points to fuel a 15-4 run.

Steve Burtt led Iona with a game-high 19 points.

The Purple Eagles return to Monteagle Ridge for their first home game in over a month when they hosts Fairfield University, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in the legendary Taps Gallagher Center.