NIAGARA UNIV, N.Y. – The Purple Eagles had three players set career records as they barged into the win column with a convincing 69-53 victory over the Binghamton Bearcats on Saturday afternoon in the Gallagher Center.
 
Val McQuade scored a game- and career-high 18 points.  The junior couldn't miss in the first half, shooting 4-for-4 from the field on her way to a 6-for-8 clip for the game.  Chanel Johnson hit a career-best seven free throws out of seven chances. 
 
Gabby Baldasare made her first career start and did not disappoint; the forward played 21 minutes, pulled in a game-high seven rebounds, and collected two steals, all of which are career-highs.
 
"I'm so happy for Gabby, she's worked really hard, she has certainly put in the time and the effort, and she is really talented," head coach Kendra Faustin said.  "Rebounding and running the floor is her game and I thought she did a great job with that tonight."
 
The Purple Eagles (1-3) actually started the game in a 3-0 hole as Binghamton (0-4) hit the first shot of the game with a three-pointer, but from there it was all Niagara.  The Purple Eagles went on a 17-0 run that got started with McQuade and Taylor McKay attacking the lane and Johnson hitting 4-of-4 free throws.  With 10:45 left in the first half, the Purple Eagles had jumped out to a 20-7 lead, which it would protect to take a 15-point, 36-21, lead into the break.
 
Through the opening half the Niagara defense stayed strong, holding the Bearcats to a 26.1 percent (6-for-23) clip from the floor and forced 10 turnovers while only committing five.
 
"I thought our press was really good tonight, and we had talked about before the game that it was going to be really important," Faustin said.  "I thought we did a nice job, we got some great rotations in our press and a couple key steals.  As they started to make a run I think that really helped us."
 
The spotlight was put on the Purple Eagles' outside game in the second half.  Meghan McGuinness, who finished with 14 points, went 4-for-6 from three-point range as the Purple Eagles shot 48.1 percent (13-for-27) from the field to stay in the lead.  Faustin attributed the offensive success to unselfish play and patience.
 
"In the zone I thought we did a decent job staying patient, and that's really hard with the shooters we have," she said.  "Anytime we get a little look we're tempted to take that, but I thought we did a really nice job getting a better look."
 
"On one of Meg's three's we got a steal; we get it up to [Sylvia Maxwell], she gets double teamed on the block and, instead of taking a layup with two people on her, she kicks it out and gets Meghan a wide open three," she continued.  "Things like that is unselfish play that got us some really good things."
 
When the Bearcats were able to get within single digits, 46-39, with 12 minutes left in the game, the Purple Eagles responded with a 14-2 run to go up 59-41 and never looked back.  NU kept its lead in the double digits on its way to the 69-53 victory.
 
The Purple Eagles finished the game a perfect 13-for-13 from the free-throw line to bring their season total to 88.4 percent (61-for-69).  They topped the Bearcats in every statistical category.  NU shot 48.6 percent from the floor to Binghamton's 39.2 percent; pulled down 33 rebounds to BU's 29; and had 12 steals to BU's eight.  The Purple Eagles also forced 19 turnovers.
 
Niagara heads back out on the road for their next contest; it heads to Michigan to take on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies for a pre-Thanksgiving matchup on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.