JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The Niagara Purple Eagles fell to the Saint Peter's Peacocks 67-55 on Sunday afternoon to split the season series and the weekend.
 
The Purple Eagles (4-11; 2-4 MAAC)  found success from the perimeter and led throughout most of the first half.  Meghan McGuinness went 2-for-4 from three-point range and Val McQuade went 1-for-2 as Niagara built a lead that got as high as six points, 22-16, with 2:24 left in the period. 
 
The Peacocks (3-12; 2-4 MAAC) were able to put together a run as time wound down to head into halftime with 26-22 advantage.
 
A 7-2 run by Niagara to begin the second half got it within a point, 30-29, with just two minutes having run off the clock. McGuinness hit a pair of threes to give the Purple and White a 38-35 lead. Clutch baskets from Sam Lapszynski, Kelly Van Leeuwen, Chanel Johnson, and McGuinness kept NU in front every time the Peacocks would get within a possession.
 
With the game tied at 49-49, a technical foul on Niagara gave Saint Peter's four chances at the charity stripe; SPU converted two of them to take the lead, 51-49.
 
The Peacocks were able to hang onto the lead throughout the remainder of the game to come away with the 67-55 win.
 
"Our post players have to do a better job so that was a disappointing effort on the defensive end," head coach Kendra Faustin said about her team trailing in the rebounding battle 48-33.  "We didn't shoot the ball particularly well either so between rebounding and struggling to get shots to fall it was a rough night for us."
 
McGuinness finished the game with 21 points to end the weekend with a 25.0 ppg average in the two games.  The junior hit 5-of-8 from three-point range and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Victoria Rampado finished with a team and career-high nine rebounds.
 
Niagara returns home next weekend to play the Marist Red Foxes at 11:00 a.m. In. The team's annual Kid's Day Game.