NIAGARA UN., N.Y. – Junior Charron Fisher (Pennsauken, N.J.) led four players in double figures as the Niagara University men’s basketball team (19-11, 13-5) won its eighth-straight game with an 89-77 victory over Rider University (15-14, 9-9) Sunday afternoon in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action in the Gallagher Center.

Fisher had game highs of 24 points and nine rebounds. Senior Lorenzo Miles (Washington, D.C.) scored 19 points and tied the school record for three-point field goals. Classmate J.R. Duffey (Ft. Worth, Texas) recorded 14 points and became the 40th member of the Niagara 1,000 point club. Freshman Tyrone Lewis (Levittown, Pa.) came off the bench for 14 points.

Rider was led by Jason Thompson’s 24 points and nine rebounds. Starting guards Harris Mansell and Terrance Mouton had 17 and 16 points, respectively.

With the score tied at 47 with 16:21 left in the game, Lewis sank a three-pointer to ignite a 16-6 run that put Niagara up 63-53 at 9:40. Miles had five points in the run, including his school record 211th three-pointer at the 13:11 mark.

The Purple Eagles pushed their lead to 11 points at 6:05 when Duffey sank two of his four free throws. The swingman then gave Niagara its largest lead of the game, 81-68, with a three-pointer from the top of the key at 2:29.

Niagara sank all eight of its free throws down the stretch for the win.

In the first half, Rider took advantage of Thompson’s 6-foot-10 height, pounding the ball inside. The Broncs got 14 first-half points from the junior. Thompson and Mansell hit back-to-back jumpers and then Mansell sank one of his three three-pointers in the game to take an eight-point lead, 18-10, with 12:12 to play.

The Purple Eagles regained the lead when Miles converted on a conventional three-point play at 6:32. Two baskets by Thompson gave the Broncs a 29-28 lead with 5:26 left, but Niagara outscored Rider, 14-9, to take a 42-38 lead into halftime.

Niagara returns to action March 3 when it plays in the quarterfinals of the 2007 Bank of America MAAC Tournament in Bridgeport, Conn.