NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Junior forward Charron Fisher (Pennsauken, N.J.) scored a game-high 27 points, 18 in the first half, to lead the Niagara University men’s basketball team (12-11, 7-5 MAAC) past Manhattan College (11-11, 8-4 MAAC) Friday night at the Gallagher Center in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action.

Manhattan opened the game with a 10-2 run before the Purple Eagles answered with a 15-6 run to take a 17-16 lead on freshman Tyrone Lewis’ (Levittown, Pa.) three-point field goal at 10:43 to play in the first half. The teams traded the lead until Fisher scored nine-straight points to give Niagara a 28-25 lead at 4:32. Niagara took a 38-34 lead at half.

Manhattan cut the lead to two, 46-44, on a basket by Arturo Dubois at 16:44. Niagara held a 56-48 lead when it scored five-straight points for a 56-48 lead after a free throw by senior Lorenzo Miles (Washington, D.C.). That run was part of a 24-7 Niagara outburst that gave the Purple Eagles a 75-55 lead on a basket by senior Clif Brown (Ferndale, Mich.) at 4:37. Earlier in the half, Brown surpassed the 1,000-point career mark.

Brown and Miles finished with 17 points each. Lewis added 13 points and a game-high four steals in a reserve role.

Dubois led Manhattan with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Guy Ngarndi added 10 points.

Niagara returns to action Sunday at 1 p.m. when it hosts cross-town rival Canisius College in the Battle of the Bridge game at a sold out Gallagher Center.