NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - The Niagara men's basketball team (11-4, 5-1 MAAC) used swarming defensive pressure to frustrate Manhattan (8-8, 2-4 MAAC) in the first half and held on for an 80-63 conference win in front of 1,779 fans at the Gallagher Center on Sunday. Senior Charron Fisher (Pennsauken, N.J.) led Niagara with 32 points for his sixth 30-point performance in his last 10 games.

After a quick basket by the Jaspers to start the contest, the Purple Eagles turned up the defensive intensity to go on a 23-3 run over the next 7:51. Niagara forced seven turnovers in that span while holding Manhattan to 0-of-12 shooting. NU held the Jaspers to 21 first half points.

Niagara led by as many as 21 in the first half as the offense was clicking as well. The Purple Eagles assisted on 11 of 14 first half buckets while shooting 20-of-21 from the charity stripe.

"This was definitely a character win for us," Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich said. "Coming off an emotional loss on Friday, your average team would have been flat, but our guys showed some character today, as they have all season long.

"Our defense was terrific," he added, "and we were just as tough on the other end of the floor."

The Purple Eagles again displayed dominance down low, scoring 34 points in the paint in the win. Last week against the Jaspers, Niagara totaled 46 points under the hoop.

Fisher, who scored 27 points in Niagara's 10-point win at Manhattan last week, connected on 10 field goals while shooting 10-of-11 from the line. He pulled in eight rebounds (4 offensive) to go along with two assists and three steals.

Junior center Benson Egemonye (Benin City, Nigeria) continued his hot play with 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting. He added eight rebounds (5 offensive) and a three blocked shots.

Stanley Hodge (Washington, D.C) and Anthony Nelson (Plainfield, N.J.) combined for 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. The freshman had nine points and six helpers, while his senior mentor added five and five for Niagara.

Sophomore Tyrone Lewis (Levittown, Pa.) connected on a pair of three-pointers and finished with six points, while classmate Demetrius Williamson (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in with eight points off the bench.

The Purple Eagles will continue their rivalry with Canisius College (2-14, 0-6 MAAC) on Friday at the Koessler Center. Tip-off for the doubleheader with the women's team is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPNU.