ALBANY, N.Y. – The Niagara University Purple Eagle women’s basketball team was not able to keep up with cross town rival Canisius, as they fell in the first round of the MAAC Tournament 63-51 on Thursday afternoon. The Purple Eagles finish the season at 8-22.
Head coach Kendra Faustin saw her team do everything they could to win, but just fall up short.
“Canisius established an inside game and they put the ball in the basket today,” stated Faustin. “Today we are saying goodbye to five great seniors who have made my first year at Niagara spectacular.”
The first half started off rather sluggish as Liz Flooks (White Plains, N.Y.) made the only basket in the first three and a half minutes. Things continued to go back and forth under Amanda Cavo’s one handed runner put the Golden Griffins up 12--8 with 12 minutes remaining. The Golden Griffins continued to pump up their lead to 18-8 after another basket by Cavo. Niagara would cut the lead to seven at 25-18 after a Kristina Walton (Cleveland, Ohio) layup, with four minutes left in the first half. Erika Harris (Gahanna, Ohio) would score five points in the last minute of the first half to bring the Purple Eagles nine, at 35-26.
Canisius started the second half on a 9-0 run to go ahead 44-26 just four and a half minutes in. Rachele Folino (Novi, Mich.) scored seven straight Niagara points to pull the Purple Eagles within 18 at 51-33 with 12:30 left. Michelle Manfredi’s (Jefferson Hills, Pa.) free throw made the score 57-34 with nine minutes left in the second half. Sarah Wilson’s (Saint Catherines, Ont.) made it 59-40 with five minutes left, as the Purple Eagles kept chipping away at the Canisius lead. Try as they might, the Purple Eagles could not catch up to a Canisius team that shot nearly 45 percent from the floor.
Wilson led the Purple Eagles with 11 points and four boards, Harris had nine points for Niagara. Brittane Russell scored 16 for the Golden Griffins. With the victory, Canisius takes on top-seeded Marist on Friday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the MAAC Tournament.
