Box Score

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. –The Niagara women’s basketball team led from start to finish as the Purple Eagles topped the Rider Broncs, 69-53, in front of 1,900 fans on Kids Day at the Gallagher Center.
 
Niagara (7-14, 4-5 MAAC) came out energized by the crowd from nine area schools and scored the first seven points of the game.  Rider (10-10, 2-7 MAAC) cut the lead to 9-6 eight minutes in, but was the closest the visitors would get.  

"I think we had a big letdown, we scored a bunch of baskets really quick and there was a little crash," head coach Kendra Faustin said.  "We were at nine points for what seemed to me like forever and we scored those first seven really quickly."
 
Lauren Gatto got the Purple Eagles on the path to their 13-point halftime lead, hitting a jumper with 10 minutes remaining.  While the Broncs stayed in the game by hitting free throws, Kayla Stroman scored six-straight points for Niagara and Meghan McGuinness hit a three-pointer with seven seconds left on the clock to send Niagara into the break up, 35-22.

To start the second half Rider cut the deficit to single digits less than two minutes in, but Ali Morris connected on three consecutive three-pointers to halt any potential rally.  As the clock wound down the Broncs cut the lead to single digits multiple times, but each time the Purple Eagles responded with a basket of their own to keep Rider at bay. 
 
With two minutes left in the game and up by eight, Niagara sealed the victory with an 10-2 run that included a McGuinness jumper and making six-of-eight free throws down the stretch.  Niagara pulled away with its second consecutive home win, this time in front of a raucous Kids Day crowd, 69-53.
 
The win was Niagara’s largest win in MAAC play since it defeated Rider 71-51 on Jan. 12, 2007. 

"I think offensively we did some really good things which we've been working on, so I'm happy with that, but it wasn't our best game defensively." Faustin said.  "We talk about taking steps as a team and maturing as a team, and I think we did that today."
 
Stroman led the way with 17 points while Gatto once again led the team in rebounds with eight.  The Purple Eagles shot a season-high 49 percent from the floor, including a 55 percent clip in the second half, and hit 50 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.
 
During a special halftime ceremony, Eva Cunningham became the first female student-athlete to have her jersey retired at Niagara as her banner was unfurled in the rafters.  Cunningham is the program’s all-time leading scorer.
 
Niagara is back in action on Sunday when it hosts Loyola for a tipoff slated at Noon.