Box Score NIAGARA UNIV, N.Y. – Senior guard
Meghan McGuinness became the newest member of Niagara's 1,000-point club when the Purple Eagles fell, 72-60, to the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at the "Taps" Gallagher Center Saturday afternoon.
McGuinness became the 22
nd Purple Eagle to join 1,000-point club. McGuinness' 1,000th point came on a foul shot with 3:26 left in the second half.
McGuinness and fellow senior
Val McQuade both finished the afternoon with 15 points while McQuade also had a team-high seven rebounds.
Sylvia Maxwell also added 10 points and four rebounds for the Purple and White.
"I cannot say enough about Meghan McGuinness and what she means to our program," head coach
Kendra Faustin said. "I am disappointed we couldn't pull out the victory we wanted for her big night but it will not go unnoticed. I'm so proud of her and blessed to coach her."
Niagara (5-4) initially started with a 9-0 deficit and had a tough time keeping up with the high-pressure, up-tempo St. Bonaventure (9-3) squad. The Purple Eagles got on the board after a 3-pointer from sophomore guard
Tiffany Corselli but the Bonnies pulled away with a 17-5 lead. NU went on to score 12 unanswered points to tie the game, 17-17, after 3-pointers from McQuade, Maxwell and McGuinness. The visitors were able to regain the lead and took a five-point, 32-27, advantage into the break.
SBU stretched its lead to eight (37-29) at the beginning of the second half but the Purple Eagles continually fought back, cutting the deficit to just one point. Niagara tied the game 43-43 with 10:03 remaining in the contest after a 3-pointer from senior guard
Kelly Van Leeuwen but St. Bonaventure battled back to take a 55-49 lead. NU was forced to foul down the stretch while the Bonnies were able to take advantage of their chances at the charity stripe and come away with a 72-60 victory.
"We had the resilience to battle back and I think that shows a lot of character of our players," Faustin said. "We really struggled to score inside and that's a testament to St. Bonaventure's defense."
The Purple Eagles shot 10-for-19 (52.6 percent) from beyond the arc and 16-for-22 (72.7 percent) from the free throw line. The Bonnies shot just 39.2 percent (20-51) from the field but made 8-of-16 (50.0 percent) from the three point line. Bonaventure's Katie Healy led the game with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The Purple Eagles have a short break for Christmas before they host the Dartmouth Big Green. Tipoff on Dec. 28 is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
