OLEAN, N.Y. – Despite a strong defensive showing and a good second half in the front court, the Niagara Purple Eagles dropped a 73-57 decision to the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Tuesday night in the Reilly Center.

The Purple Eagles (0-3) came out early with a shutdown defensive effort, holding the Bonnies (4-1) to just 16.7 percent (1-for-6) from the floor including an 0-for-3 clip from three-point range throughout the first five minutes.  Turnovers kept the Purple Eagles from jumping out to an early lead before the Bonnies were able to get on the board.
 
"The first half defensively I thought was good but they made some tough shots," head coach Kendra Faustin said.  "We tried to create too much early in the first half [and committed] silly travels and turnovers.  We were getting stops and then we were just trying to create too much individually offensively and we did a much better job in the second half and I think that certainly showed."
 
While the Bonnies were first on the board, junior Gabby Baldasare kept NU close in the early going with a jumper and a pair of free throws to make it 7-4 with 12 minutes left in the period. 
 
"[Baldasare] was so solid defensively," Faustin said.  "That was sort of a great step for her.  Gabby is capable of that night-in and night-out and I was really happy for her, and for us, to see her take that step.
 
Baldasare, a Pittsburgh, Pa. native, would go on to play 15 minutes in the half, three short of her career-high for a game, with four points and a team-leading three rebounds.
 
Each time the Bonnies looked like they were about to get going offensively in the opening half, the Purple Eagles responded with a mini-run of their own.  When the hosts went up by eight points, 12-4, with less than eleven minutes to play, a Taylor McKay layup and a three-pointer from Victoria Rampado brought the game back within three, 12-9.  A couple turnovers and a half-court prayer sent Niagara into the locker room facing a 39-20 deficit.
 
"Really what those turnovers are at the beginning of the game are youth," said Faustin. "Taylor McKay has played major minutes in three college basketball games.  Victoria Rampado just has three college basketball games in her entire career and her life."
 
Niagara found its stride offensively in the second half, hitting 44 percent (11-for-25) from the floor on its way to outscoring St. Bonnies 37-33 in the half, but wasn't able to get within more than 13 points on the way to a 73-57 final.
 
"I thought we moved the ball in the second half much better," Faustin said.  "Once we got that going and played to our strengths I thought we did a great job.  I thought Val McQuade's effort was great; her line was great."
 
McQuade led the Purple Eagles in scoring with 13 points.  The junior hit 3-of-4 chances from three-point range and made both of her free throws.  NU had three players in double-digits for the third time this season with McKay and Sylvia Maxwell both scoring 10.  The team also took advantage of its chances from the free-throw line, hitting 17-of-20 (85 percent) of its opportunities.
 
Defensively, Niagara held two of St. Bonaventure's top three scorers, Gabrielle Richmond and Chelsea Bowker, to a combined 10 points due mostly to the defensive effort of senior Chanel Johnson; who called upon to defend both Gabrielle Richmond and SBU leading scorer Katie Healy.
 
"This is a really talented team; Healey is so talented and a really tough guard, and I thought Chanel stepped up and defended really well." Faustin said.  "She was on Healey or Richmond for most of the game.  I thought we did a nice job on their two other leading scorers, Bowker and Richmond."
 
Johnson finished the game with a team-high 6 rebounds.
 
The Purple Eagles have a quick turnaround with their next game coming on Saturday at home against the Binghamton Bearcats.  Tip-off in the Gallagher Center is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.