NIAGARA UNIV, N.Y. – Val McQuade became the first player since 2006 to score over 30 points in a game for the Niagara women's basketball team with a 31-point effort in Saturday afternoon's 78-70 loss to the Buffalo Bulls in the Gallagher Center.
 
The last time a Purple Eagle scored over 30 points in a game was seven years ago to the day, when Shaunna Ambrose scored 31 against Marshall on Dec. 21, 2006. 
 
McQuade finished the afternoon shooting 10-for-16 from the floor and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line.
 
"We see it every day in practice; it's phenomenal," head coach Kendra Faustin said.  "Val has been really working on facing the basket more, she was playing with her back to the basket last year and her freshman year.  Obviously she can really shoot the ball and she has gotten really comfortable out there and she is doing her work early - using her screens, relocating, moving without the ball - and when she touches the ball she's ready to shoot.  I think that really showed tonight."
 
Niagara (2-7) took the initial lead, thanks in part to McQuade's first three-pointer of the afternoon.  She would collect six for the game to become the second player to score six three-pointers this season. Meghan McGuinness was the first player to do so in a the team's game against Lehigh on Nov. 8, 2013. 
 
The Purple Eagles held the lead for the first 14 minutes of play but Buffalo (6-4) did not let the lead get to more than six points.  The visitors were able to take the lead with just over six minutes left in the half and took a five-point, 44-39, advantage into the break.
 
Gabby Baldasare's 10 first half points were good for a new career-high.  The Pittsburgh native also set career highs in blocks (four), field goals made (two), free throws made (six), and minutes played (29). 
 
Buffalo stretched its lead to seven at the beginning of the second half but the Purple Eagles continually fought back, cutting the deficit to just one point on two different occasions.  The first came with 11:20 left to play when McQuade hit two of her five free throws to make the score 54-53.  UB was able to build the lead back to nine points but an 8-0 run capped by three-pointer and a pair of free throws from Kelly Van Leeuwen cut the deficit to 65-64.
 
"Our starting group, you know I think got tired in the end," Faustin said.  "I think that's why the second half wore on us.  We have some younger players in that second group and I think I need to play them more minutes and I think they need to do a better job in those minutes, but we can't play five people and so we've got to get that going."
 
Down the stretch the Purple Eagles were able to get within three but the Bulls were able to take advantage of their chances at the charity stripe and come away with a 78-70 victory.
 
"It was a great Western New York basketball game, a great rivalry game," Faustin said.  "We came out on the wrong side of that game but I thought both teams played really hard.  I thought on the boards we got killed and that hurt, but overall I was pleased with our effort.  I think offensively we did some great things and I think the defense rebounding really got us."
 
Chanel Johnson led the team with six rebounds and collected 12 points to give NU three players with double digits points.  Baldasare's four blocks were a game-high and Van Leeuwen collected a team-high five assists.
 
The Purple Eagles have a short break for Christmas before they hit the road to open conference play with the program's first ever matchup with the Quinnipiac Bobcats.  Tipoff on Dec. 29 is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.