PHILADELPHIA - The Niagara men's basketball team (4-1) used a stingy defense inside the historic Palestra to defeat Monmouth (0-6), 71-48, in the Philly Hoop Group Classic. The Purple Eagles used a 21-1 run midway through the first half to pull away from the Hawks.

Niagara shot 50.0 percent (24-for-48) from the floor while holding Monmouth to 28.1 percent (18-for-64). NU forced 14 turnovers, blocked six shots and had six steals in the victory. The defensive effort marked the first time that the Purple Eagles held an opponent under 50 points since Feb. 13, 2002, in a 65-42 win at Loyola.

After jumping out to a 12-4 lead on four Purple Eagle three-pointers, the first three by Rob Garrison (Niagara Falls, N.Y.), the Hawks countered with a 10-0 run to take a 17-14 lead with 10:54 remaining in the first. Over the next 7:53, Niagara put together an impressive 21-1 run to put the game out of reach.

The run was keyed by aggressive defense (the Purple Eagles held Monmouth to 0-of-9 shooting while forcing seven turnovers) and a pair of sparks off the NU bench. Junior Demetrius Williamson (Chicago, Ill.) scored seven of his 14 points in the first-half spurt, while freshman Kashief Edwards (Philadelphia, Pa.) blocked three shots in the 7:53 span.

"Our defense really got us going in the first," Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich said. "Then, to get a spark off the bench from Demetrius and Kashief was really nice."

For Williamson, the 14-point effort marked the most points scored by the 6-foot-6 swingman since pouring in a career-high 19 at Liberty last season. Edwards finished with a career-best 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

Garrison scored a game-high 18 points, including a personal-best four three-pointers. Juniors Tyrone Lewis (Levittown, Pa.) and Bilal Benn (Philadelphia, Pa.) each added seven points while combining for seven assists. Sophomore Anthony Nelson (Plainfield, N.J.) pulled in a team-best six rebounds.

The Purple Eagles will close out the Philly Hoop Group Classic on Saturday when they face Hartford at 2 p.m.