NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - The Niagara University men's basketball team continued its home success against the Loyola Greyhounds with a 82-70 win on Monday night at the 'Taps' Gallagher Center. A season-high six players scored in double-figures and the defense held the Greyhounds without a field goal for 10:46 late in the second half.

The Purple Eagles (12-3, 3-0) got a total team effort as six student-athletes scored at least 11 points while grabbing six rebounds. Niagara out-rebounded Loyola (5-10, 1-3) 46-33 while playing five guards at lengthy stretches in the second half.

"Sometimes numbers to tell the story," Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich said. "Tonight we got contributions from a lot of people. But we rebounded the ball well, and that was the difference."

Sophomore Anthony Nelson (Plainfield, N.J.) was one of two players to flirt with a triple-double in the win. The point guard tallied 13 points while grabbing eight rebounds and handing out seven assists. He was also one of five guards to collect two steals.

Junior Bilal Benn (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored 14 points to go along with nine boards and six assists, while classmate Rob Garrison (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) led the Purple Eagles with 18 points to go along with six rebounds.

Senior center Benson Egemonye (Benin City, Nigeria) scored 12 points with seven rebounds in 21 minutes of action. After collecting a career-high five blocks in his last contest, the 6-foot-10 big man swatted three while altering many more.

Junior Tyrone Lewis (Levittown, Pa.) and Demetrius Williamson (Chicago, Ill.) each scored 11 points. Lewis had an emphatic dunk in the middle of a Niagara second-half run, while Williamson added two slams of his own in the last few minutes of play. Lewis grabbed eight rebounds, four on each end of the floor, while Williamson collected six.

Niagara trailed 39-36 at the half after allowing the Greyhounds to shoot 48.5 percent from the floor. The Purple Eagles opened the second half with an 11-2 run to take the lead for good.

The defense showed its claws at the 12:26 mark in the second half. After Jamal Barney, who led all scorers with 20 points, connected on a lay-up to cut the Niagara lead to 59-56, the Greyhounds didn't make another field goal until the 1:40 mark. Loyola went 0-for-10 during that stretch while committing four turnovers.

The Purple Eagles get back into action on the road on Friday, Jan. 9, at Saint Peter's. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.