NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - The Niagara men's basketball team (11-3, 2-0) remained perfect in conference play with a 93-74 victory over Manhattan (7-6, 1-2) in front of 2,093 fans at the 'Taps' Gallagher Center on Saturday night. Junior Bilal Benn (Philadelphia, Pa.) recorded career highs with 24 points and 16 rebounds in the win.

Five Purple Eagles tallied double digits in the win, including a career-best 12 first-half points by freshman Kashief Edwards (Philadelphia, Pa.). Juniors Rob Garrison (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) and Tyrone Lewis (Levittown, Pa.) chipped in with 18 and 13 points, respectively, while senior Benson Egemonye (Benin City, Nigeria) added 16 points and five blocks.

"We challenged the guys at half time to play better defensively," Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich said. "We made a dangerous team, a team that can really score points and a team with a lot of weapons feel like they could score 100 points on us."

The Purple Eagles responded to the challenge, holding the Jaspers to 25 points after the break. After allowing Manhattan to shoot 50 percent from the floor in the open stanza, the Purple defense clamped down to hold the Jaspers to 26.3 percent after the half.

Niagara jumped out to an early 10-2 lead and never trailed in the contest, leading by as many as 27 at one point in the second half. The Purple Eagles used their aggressive defense to convert offensive opportunities, scoring 33 points off turnovers and 21 in transition.

Benn was active early and often for Niagara, achieving a double-double in the first half with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The MAAC's leading rebounder grabbed seven offensive boards and nine defensive caroms in the win. The junior guard shot 10-for-18 from the floor, including three three-pointers.

Edwards' 12 markers came in just nine minutes of first-half action. He shot 3-of-4 from the field while grabbing two boards. Garrison continued his hot play with 5-of-8 shooting, including a trio of triples and a perfect 5-for-5 night from the line.

Though Anthony Nelson (Plainfield, N.J.) was held scoreless until the final minutes of the game, the sophomore point guard handed out a season-high eight assists to just one turnover.

The contest was the first home game for Niagara in a month. The win gives the Purple Eagles their 20th win in their last 23 games inside the Gallagher Center. Niagara welcomes Loyola (5-9, 1-2) to the Gallagher Center on Monday for a 7 p.m. start.