NIAGARA UNIV. N.Y. - The Niagara University men's basketball team (6-3, 2-0) used a 15-2 second-half surge to claim victory over conference foe Marist (6-5, 1-1 MAAC) on Saturday, 76-67, in front of 1,951 fans at the legendary 'Taps' Gallagher Center. The win stretches a pair of Purple Eagle streaks into double digits.

Niagara kept its composure, despite trailing by as many as 12 in the second half, to extend its home winning streak to 11 games and its overall conference streak to 12 games. The last time the Purple Eagles lost to a conference opponent (including MAAC Tournament games) was Jan. 28, 2007, at Fairfield. The victory puts NU in a first place tie with Siena (2-0) in the early portion of the season.

"I felt we kept our compusre as a team and as individuals," head coach Joe Mihalich said. "During the 10-minute stretch that we made our run, I thought that we guarded the ball extremely well. Our defense gave our offense energy."

The offense was once again led by senior Charron Fisher (Pennsauken, N.J.). The nation's leading scorer earned his third-straight double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Fisher came up big when the Purple Eagles need him most, scoring 20 points in the second half, including the game-tying lay-up and the go-ahead three-pointer with 5:39 remaining in the contest.

"(Marist) was playing well and guarding me really tough," Fisher said. "I knew once we made a run, it would be tough for them defensively."

The Red Foxes trailed 29-20 with 4:15 to go in the first, but rallied with a 15-0 run to close the half and take a 35-29 lead into the break. Ben Farmer hit a long-range shot to start and end the run, as the senior finished with a team-high 13 points.

NU cut the defecit to four early in the second on a lay-up by freshman point guard Anthony Nelson (Plainfield, N.J.), but Marist seemed to grab every loose ball and offensive rebound, as the Red Foxes extended their lead to 12 with 16:51 to play.

The lead stood at 10 points with 13:02 remaining when the Niagara defense took center stage. The Purple Eagles forced three turnovers, blocked a shot and forced Marist into a 1-for-7 stretch as they took the lead at the 5:39 mark.

Fisher scored 11 of his 20 second half points during that stretch as his trifecta with 5:39 left touched nothing but net and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Solid free-throw shooting down the stretch sealed the victory for Niagara.

Senior Stanley Hodge (Washington, D.C.) tied his career-high with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. He also pulled in six rebounds and handed out a pair of assists. Nelson was a key in the second-straight contest, finishing with 11 points, seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and a lone turnover on an offensive foul.

Sophomore Tyrone Lewis (Levittown, Pa.) did not shoot well from the floor, but the Preseason All-MAAC pick nailed a crucial three-pointer down the stretch to stave off a Marist run. Lewis chipped in with nine markers and seven boards.

The Purple Eagles return to the hardwood after the holidays in California. Niagara will play a pair of games in the Cable Car Classic in Santa Clara, Calif., with the first contest tipping-off at 11 p.m. eastern time on Dec. 28.