DAYTON, Ohio – Senior forward Clif Brown (Ferndale, Mich.) scored 24 of his game-high 32 points in the second half to power the Niagara University men’s basketball team (23-11)  to a 77-69 win over Florida A&M (21-14) Tuesday night at the University of Dayton Arena in the Opening Round of the NCAA Tournament. The victory extended the Purple Eagles' winning streak to 12-straight games.

Brown made a career-high six three-point field goals in the game, placing him tied for fifth in the Niagara single-game records. Brown’s six three-point field goals equaled how many three-pointers the Purple Eagles made as a team in their 2005 NCAA Tournament game against Oklahoma.

The contest, which was televised by ESPN, marked Niagara’s third trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Purple Eagles are now 2-3 in NCAA postseason play after registering their first tournament win in 37 years. The 23 wins in a season rank tied for fourth for the most wins in Niagara history. The 1992-93 team also had 23 victories.

Junior forward Charron Fisher (Pennsauken, N.J.) finished with 13 points while freshman guard Tyrone Lewis (Levittown, Pa.) and senior guard Lorenzo Miles (Washington, D.C.) each added 12 points. Fisher had a team-best eight rebounds.

Niagara, behind an early hot hand by Fisher, opened a 20-7 lead when Lewis sank a three-point field goal with 11:20 left in the half. Lewis then dunked the in-bounds pass to give Niagara a 22-11 lead but the Rattlers used a 10-2 run to come within three, 24-21, with 5:37 remaining, before Miles sank two foul shots with 5:11 left.

Lewis gave Niagara a 35-31 halftime lead as he drove the lane and made a short jump shot with four seconds left. Fisher had 11 points in the first 20 minutes while Lewis netted 10.

Brown continued to have the hot hand to open the second half, hitting two three-point field goals to put the Purple Eagles up 49-39 with 14:08 remaining. Brown scored 10 of Niagara’s 12 points as it pulled away from a 37-33 lead.

Brown then gave Niagara a 53-41 lead when he hit a turnaround shot in the lane with 12:28 remaining. Florida A&M responded with a 6-0 run to make it 53-47 when Darius Glover scored with 11:14 left. Brown then hit his fifth three-pointer to give Niagara a 56-47 lead with 10:39 to play.

Fisher gave the Purple Eagles a 66-58 lead with a jump shot at 2:37 before Niagara closed the game by making 11 of 12 free throws in the game’s final 1:30.

Glover led Florida A&M with 15 points. Rome Sanders, Brian Greene, Joe Ballard and Leslie Robinson each added 10 points. Greene added a game-high 10 rebounds.

As the No. 16 seed, Niagara takes on No. 1 seed and second-ranked Kansas Friday at 7:10 p.m. in the first round of the West Regional at the United Center in Chicago.