Box Score

NIAGARA UNIV, N.Y. – The Niagara women’s basketball team secured fifth place in the MAAC heading into the conference tournament with a 56-44 victory over the Manhattan Jaspers in the team’s Senior Day game at the Gallagher Center on Sunday.

"This was really good in preparing us for the tournament in that we didn't shoot well but we really dug in on the defensive end," head coach Kendra Faustin said. "Our defense is what helped us be successful."
 
Niagara (12-18, 9-9 MAAC) held the lead for most of the game but Manhattan (16-14, 10-8 MAAC) came back to take the lead with less than 11 minutes remaining when Monica Roeder hit a three-pointer to give the Jaspers a 37-35 lead. 
 
Niagara responded almost immediately,  Two minutes later a Meghan McGuinness three-pointer kick-started a 15-3 run by the Purple Eagles who stormed back to take a 52-40 lead with four minutes remaining.  McGuinness hit three three-pointers, Kayla Stroman scored four of her nine points, and Lauren Gatto scored the last of her 12 points on the afternoon during the run. 
 
Manhattan was able to keep it close but ran out of time and Niagara was able to cement the victory as Stroman and Chanel Johnson both hit a pair of free throws to push the lead to 12 and give Niagara a 56-44 victory. 
 
Senior Day was started by senior Ali Morris making an athletic play to get a steal and a layup on the fast break to put Niagara in front right out of the gate.  Manhattan tied the game three times in the first five minutes of action but the Purple Eagles were able to pull ahead thanks to Gatto’s strong inside play.  The sophomore finished the half with only two rebounds, but led all scorers with 10 points in the half by hitting 5-of-6 shots. 
 
Niagara went on a 10-4 run starting with just under 10 minutes left on the clock.  Val McQuade made a pair of free throws, Gatto hit a pair of jumpers, and McGuinness made her only three-pointer of the half to give the Purple Eagles an 11-point, 25-14 lead.  Manhattan did not fade away and responded with a run of its own.  The Jaspers were able to cut the deficit to only four, heading into halftime down 30-26.
 
"It was really big for our confidence to win a game going into the tournament," Faustin said.  "For us not to be in the play-in game has been a goal of ours since the preseason.  We haven't talked about it since the preseason but it has been one of our three major goals.  Today it was nice on senior day, in our locker room to talk about a goal we reached."

Gatto and McGuinness led the team both in points, with 12, and rebounds, with five.  Niagara finished the game making 9-of-10 free throws and 7-of-12 three-pointers to shoot 58.3 percent from beyond the arc. 
 
With the win the Purple Eagles have clinched the fifth seed heading into MAAC-achusetts, which means they will be in action next Friday when they take the fourth seeded Loyola Greyhounds in the quarterfinals.  Tip-off on Friday will be at 3:30 pm.