CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Niagara men's basketball team (10-3) ran into a hot Chattanooga team (4-8) in the finale of the Dr. Pepper Classic on Tuesday in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Mocs shot 57 percent from the floor in a 99-84 victory. 

UTC's senior Stephen McDowell scored 38 points, connecting on nine three-pointers in the win. The senior guard hit seven triples in the first-half, many of them contested jumpers. Nicchaeus Doaks added 18 points and 17 rebounds in the win.

The Purple Eagles trailed 43-40 at the half, despite the hot shooting of McDowell. Niagara cut the lead to 57-55 at the 15:19 mark, but the Mocs responded with a 13-0 run to put the game away.

Niagara shot 34 percent in the contest and attempted 38 three-pointers. Four Purple Eagles tallied double figures, led by junior Demetrius Williamson's (Chicago, Ill.) 19 points off the bench. Tyrone Lewis (Levittown, Pa.) and Anthony Nelson (Plainfield, N.J.) each added 16 points, while Rob Garrison (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) scored 10.

"We are disappointed about tonight," Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich said. "There are a lot of areas where we could have played better, but we are as battle-tested as we've ever been before and we are anxious to start conference play."

Lewis and senior Benson Egemonye (Benin City, Nigeria) were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Purple Eagles return home for the first time in a month for a pair of conference games. NU faces Manhattan on Jan. 3 and Loyola on Jan. 5. Both games tip-off at 7 p.m.