ALBANY, N.Y. – The Niagara University Purple Eagle men’s basketball dropped a 94-78 to the Siena Saints in front of 7,366 at the Times Union Center on Friday night. The setback places Niagara at 18-9 (11-6 MAAC).

The loss puts Niagara a game back of Loyola, Siena and Rider atop the MAAC standings with just one game left to go. The Purple Eagles currently one game back. With one conference contest left, the Purple Eagles can earn between the No. 2 seed and the No. 5 seed in next week's tournament, contingent upon Sunday's action acrooss the MAAC. 

Charron Fisher (Pennsauken, N.J.) led all Purple Eagles with a double-double consisting of 31 points and 14 rebounds. Tyrone Lewis (Levittown, Pa.) added 17 points, while senior Stanley Hodge (Washington D.C.) netted 10 points for Niagara. The Purple Eagles came within three right before the half, before Siena rallied to take a 50-43 halftime advantage. The Saints outscored Niagara 44-35 in the second half to seal the victory.

The Purple Eagles will finish up the regular season with a sold-out showdown against their cross-town rivals, the Canisius Golden Griffins at 2 p.m. at the Gallagher Center. The game will be broadcasted on the Niagara Sports Network.