NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University men’s basketball team (18-11, 12-5) won its seventh-straight game as the Purple Eagles had four players score in double figures in their 73-71 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Loyola College (16-12, 11-6) Friday night in front of 1,927 fans at the Gallagher Center.

Junior guard Stanley Hodge (Washington, D.C.) led Niagara with a career-high 18 points and nine rebounds. Hodge also made a career-best two three-point field goals. Senior guard Lorenzo Miles (Washington, D.C.) added 17 points while junior Charron Fisher (Pennsauken, N.J.) and senior J.R. Duffey (Fort Worth, Texas) scored 16 and 13 points, respectively.

Loyola was led by Gerald Brown’s 29 points. Omari Isreal added 12 points.

Niagara opened the game with a 13-4 run as Fisher, Miles and Duffey each hit three-point field goals in the game’s first four minutes. The Purple Eagles pushed their lead to 12, 22-10, when Duffey sank a three-pointer with 11 minutes to play. After Loyola cut the lead to seven, 29-22, at 6:18, the Purple Eagles closed the half with a 9-2 run for a 38-24 lead.

Behind Brown’s 23 second-half points, Loyola first got within three points, 54-51, with 9:21 remaining after a free throw by Greg Manning. Brown then brought the Greyhounds within two, 57-55, with a jump shot at 6:53. Duffey tipped in a missed shot before Miles sank a three-pointer for a 62-55 edge at 5:34. Hodge then gave Niagara a 64-55 lead with 4:33 to play.

Brown once again brought Loyola within three, 69-66, with a three-pointer with 44 seconds remaining. Hodge and Brown then each sank two free throws for a 71-68 lead with 18.4 seconds left. After Fisher made one foul shot, Loyola’s Marquis Sullivan sank a three-pointer with 4.7 seconds to play. Fisher sank one foul shot before Miles stole Loyola’s in-bounds pass and was fouled with 1.6 seconds to play. Miles missed the first free throw before intentionally missing the second one. Loyola did not get a shot off before the buzzer.

Niagara made 25 of 49 field goals (51 percent) to overcome a 14-of-27 performance from the foul line.

The Purple Eagles close the regular season at 1 p.m. Sunday against Rider at the Gallagher Center.