NIAGARA UNIV., NY - The Niagara women’s basketball hit its stride in the first half against the Binghamton Bearcats and kept its foot on the gas pedal through the second as the Purple Eagles pulled away with a 64-53 win Saturday afternoon at the Gallagher Center.
 
“We had some basic goals in this game that we reached,” head coach Kendra Faustin said.  “We really talk about [playing] media timeout to media timeout and we won the majority of the media timeouts.  After we got one four minute segment we went to the next four minute segment.”
 
Going into the second half up 30-22, Niagara (3-6) kept the pressure on Binghamton (5-4) and never gave the Bearcats an opportunity to get back into the contest.  As in the first half, the Purple Eagles struck first when Lauren Gatto hit a jumper and the and-one for three of her 12 points on the afternoon.
 
The teams would trade baskets but, thanks to a three-pointer from freshman Val McQuade, the closest the Bearcats would get to a rally was six points.  Down the stretch, Meghan Waterman (six points), Kayla Stroman (19 points) and Gatto helped build Niagara’s final lead as the Purple Eagles cruised to an 11-point victory.
 
“Those things that we talk about doing every day, the ball movement, the setting and using solid ball screens, the ball pressure, and the boxing out and rebounding, we did those things tonight,” Faustin said.
 
The first half began with Gatto hitting her first look of the contest.  A steal by Ali Morris lead to a three-pointer from Stroman, who owned the first half scoring 10 points and adding three steals, that put Niagara up 5-0.
 
Binghamton would fight back and take the lead just over three minutes into the game.  The largest lead the Bearcats would get was three points but they would stay ahead until the 11:34 mark.  The lead would change hands a couple times until a Chanel Johnson jumper would give it to Niagara for good. 
 
Niagara continued to make its free throws count, shooting 80% (12-15) from the line.  The Purple Eagles also shot a season high 47.9% from the floor and outrebounded an opponent for the first time this season.  Niagara was led by Stroman’s 19 points and Johnson’s five rebounds.
 
“I think the big picture is starting to come together and we’re starting to really understand our identity as a team, as this team in particular, and as a program,“ Faustin said. 
 
The Purple Eagles are back on the court on Tuesday when they travel to Ohio for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

Check below for  postgame interviews with Val Mcquade and head coach Kendra Faustin.