NIAGARA UNIV, N.Y. – A monster run and strong defense got the Niagara Purple Eagles to within a possession to end the first but they ultimately fell to the Marist Red Foxes on Friday morning in the Gallagher Center.
 
The first half opened with early back-and-forth action as Niagara (4-12; 2-5 MAAC) and Marist (12-5; 6-1 MAAC) traded baskets before the Red Foxes were able to build their first substantial lead of the game, 21-11, with 12:57 left in the half.   It was Chanel Johnson, who finished the game with a team-high 18 points, that hit a layup and the ensuing and-one to start the Purple Eagles on a 16-4 run over the next eight and a half minutes to take a 27-25 lead with 4:29 left to go.  Johnson and Gabby Baldasare both scored five points on the run.
 
"I thought we did a great job in the first half of taking care of the basketball after the first couple of minutes," head coach Kendra Faustin said.  "In that stretch I thought we really guarded and did a great job moving the ball and taking care of the ball."
 
The first ended the same way it began with both teams trading baskets but it was a jumper from Meghan McGuinness that got Niagara into the break down by three, 34-31.
 
The second half started out evenly as the teams again went up-and-down the floor.  When Marist was able to build a 51-38 lead, Sylvia Maxwell hit 5-for-6 from the free-throw line to cut the deficit to 51-43 with 12 minutes left in regulation.  Niagara refused to fade down the stretch but Marist was able to maintain its lead and came away with the 74-59 win.
 
"I thought, specifically in the first half, we made them take tough shots and I think they scored once in the paint in that first half, but I was disappointed in our second-half effort," said Faustin.  "We came out of the locker room flat and without the edge that we played with in the first."
 
Niagara maintained a dominant lead on the boards, outrebounding Marist 40-28.  McGuinness collected 10 points to finish second on the team behind Johnson's 18.  Baldasare finished 4-for-5 from the field to finish with nine points of her own. 
 
"We rebounded and, I know it's hard to believe because they shot 42 percent from the field, but for the most part we did a great job defensively," Faustin said.  "They're a tough team to guard and to stop."
 
Friday was Kid's Day in the Gallagher Center as 1,639 students, teachers, and faculty members from eight Niagara Falls-area schools were in attendance.  The crowd provided a unique atmosphere for the conference matchup in the Gallagher Center.
 
"The energy in the building is great," said Faustin.  "This is what college basketball is about and we really look forward to it.  We do a lot of work in these schools that come, whether it's in the gym classes or in regular classes, so we are really fortunate to have this really positive energy. "
 
The Purple Eagles are back in action on Sunday when they welcome the Monmouth Hawks to the Gallagher Center for a 2:00 p.m. top-off.