AUBURN, Ala. - The Niagara men's basketball team (0-1) dropped its season opener at Auburn (1-0) on Friday night, 69-65. The Purple Eagles held a seven-point lead with 2:24 remaining, but couldn't get the ball to bounce their way down the stretch.
"I am very proud of our guys," Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich said. "We had an SEC team beat on their home floor, but a couple plays didn't go our way down the stretch."
Niagara outrebounded the bigger Tigers, but were outmatched on the charity stripe by a 30-10 advantage.
Junior Anthony Nelson (Plainfield, N.J.) scored 12 of his team-high 17 points in the second half. He was 5-of-10 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the line while adding a game-high four steals. His 3-pointer at the 6:36 mark sparked an 8-2 run, giving NU a 65-58 lead with 2:24 left in the contest.
Auburn's DeWayne Reed scored eight-straight points after that as he keyed the crucial 11-0 run to end the game. Reed finished with a game-high 24 points.
Seniors Bilal Benn (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Demetrius Williamson (Chicago, Ill.) each recorded 16 points. Benn, last year's MAAC leader in double-doubles finished with 13 rebounds, and the forward had his double-double at halftime with 12 points and 10 boards. Williamson connected on three triples in the second half.
Senior guard Tyrone Lewis (Levittown, Pa.) played only nine minutes before suffering an injury in the first half. He had two points and a pair of rebounds before he left the game. Classmate Rob Garrison (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) finished with eight points, five rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Austin Cooley (Bethesda, Md.) chipped in a pair of long balls for six points.
The Purple Eagles return to the legendary 'Taps' Gallagher Center for their home opener on Tuesday at 8 a.m. The contest will be a special one, as it will be part of ESPN's 24 Hours of College Basketball Tip-off Marathon and the Athletic Department will honor the 40th Anniversary of its first NCAA Tournament team. 1969-70 head coach Frank Layden and All-American Calvin Murphy will be on hand.
