NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. –  The Niagara men’s basketball team was nipped by the Iona Gaels, 72-66, on Friday night in a tightly contested game at the Gallagher Center.

“I think we should have won the game,” head coach Joe Mihalich said. “That is the most talented team in the league. I told the team to be angry that we didn’t win, but knowing we played the best team in the league knowing that we should have won.”

A career-high night by sophomore Eric Williams and several second-half runs were not enough the push Niagara (4-16, 1-7 MAAC) past the Iona Gaels (13-6, 7-1 MAAC), who are in a first place tie with Sunday’s opponent Fairfield.

The Purple Eagles made key runs late in the first and second half to get back into the game. A Williams dunk with 4:55 remaining in the first half sparked Niagara’s 8-0 run. Anthony Nelson made three straight free throws to bring the Purple Eagles to a one-point deficit at 28-27 with three minutes remaining. The Gaels, however, would respond with a 5-0 run to end the half. 

Iona extended its run to the start second half and eventually had an eight-point lead when the Purple Eagles stormed back.  Malcolm Lemmons connected on a 3-pointer to tie the game 42-42, but Iona’s Sean Armand drained three consecutive 3-pointers to take a 51-42 lead with 11:58 left.

Niagara had some chances down the stretch to take the lead. Trailing 59-57 with 5:40 remaining, Skylar Jones had his 3-pointer rimmed out and NU would miss its next four shots from the field. Down 66-61 with 35 seconds left, Williams tipped-in a missed layup to cut the score to 66-63, but Iona would make six straight free throws to close out the game.

Williams had a game-high 18 points for a career-high, surpassing his previous career-high of 15 points set versus Iona last season. He also had a career-high nine rebounds. Nelson finished with 17 points, six assists and three rebounds. Lemmons and Marvin Jordan had 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Niagara is back on the court on Sunday to face the Fairfield Stags for a 2:05 p.m. start on Time Warner.