Box Score

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – In one of its best all-around team performance of the season, the Niagara women’s basketball team downed the Manhattan Jaspers, 61-55, on Friday at the Draddy Gymnasium.
 
In a repeat performance of the last time the Purple Eagles (9-16, 6-7 MAAC) defeated the Jaspers (12-12, 6-6 MAAC) on Mar. 5, 2010 in the MAAC Tournament Quarterfinals, Niagara had four players hit double-digits on the scoreboard.   Chanel Johnson (13 points), Meghan McGuinness (13 points), Lauren Gatto (12 points) and Kayla Stroman (14 points) did the honors. 
 
This was the second time this season Niagara had four players make it to double-digits in the same game.  The last time was in the 69-53 victory over Rider on Jan. 27 at home.
 
“It was a great team effort tonight on the offensive end starting with Stroman’s play making, great decisions, and getting the ball in the paint,” head coach Kendra Faustin said.
 
Stroman not only finished the game with a team-high 14 points, but added a game-high six assists and five rebounds.  The guard went 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, including one to break an early tie in the second half and one to send Niagara into the lead for good with under six minutes remaining.
 
The rest of Niagara’s three pointers came courtesy of McGuinness who went 3-for-4 from long distance and completed Niagara’s 7-for-14 (50 percent) total for the game.
 
Niagara also outrebounded Manhattan, 38-25, as Gatto and Shy Britton tied for game-highs with six apiece, and the Purple Eagles also had four other players tied with five rebounds on the night.  This was the sixth time this season the Purple Eagles outrebounded their opponent and third time in the last five games.
 
Success came from inside the arc as well.  Niagara hit 48.7 percent of its shots from the floor and got back to form from the line, hitting 10 of 14 (71.4 percent) from the charity stripe.  The Purple Eagles weren’t fazed down the stretch as McGuinness and Gatto each hit a pair of free throws to increase Niagara’s lead to nine points with five seconds left.

“I’m very pleased that we are continuing to make strides as a team and close out a game,” said Faustin.
 
The Purple Eagles look to carry this momentum into their next game as they wrap up their final roadtrip of the season with a matchup against Iona at 4:30 pm on Sunday.