NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Season-high outputs in points, field goals and assists were not enough as the Niagara men's basketball team was nipped by Arkansas State, 74-69, on Tuesday night.
The Purple Eagles, who led for 86 percent of the game, scored a season-high 69 points, made a season-high 27 field goals and dished out a season-best 15 assists. Five Purple Eagles (1-8) were in double figures for the first time since Feb. 2014.
Rayvon Harris led the way with 13 points, followed by
Ramone Snowden with 12 points while also adding a career-best seven assists.
Emile Blackman,
Wesley Myers and
Dominique Reid all chipped in with 11 points.
"We played hard and played together, and I'm proud of my guys for that," head coach Chris Casey said. "We are going through a rough stretch and I think a lot of people would start pointing fingers and not work as hard, but what I get from these guys is they don't ever point a finger, and they work even harder."
Niagara got off to a blistering start, leading 10-2 after four minutes, in its attempt to snap its current skid. A-State (5-4) took a brief 14-12 before NU scored five straight points to regain the lead it would keep for the rest of the first half on its way to a 41-36 advantage at halftime. The 41 first half points and 63 percent (17-for-27) field goal percentage were a season-high.
The Purple Eagles pushed their lead to nine points, 51-42, on a layup by
Cameron Fowler at the 16:36 mark in the second half for their largest lead of the game. However, the Red Wolves battled back into the contest to take a 57-56 lead with 8:55 remaining, but the Purple Eagles reeled off six straight points over the next two minutes for a 62-57 lead.
Niagara led 65-62 with four minutes left when A-State went on an 8-0 run to head into the final minute with the lead. The Purple Eagles, now trailing 72-69, forced a turnover on the inbound to get possession with 10 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Snowden would miss a 3-pointer in the corner with eight seconds left on Niagara's last shot.
"Arkansas State is a very good team and they made some big shots down the stretch," Casey stated. "I thought we did a good job contesting those shots, but they made them. I thought our defense was good enough to win the game and I thought our rebounding was good enough to win the game, but I think we just got to keep working on making timely free throws and timely shots."
Niagara continues its four-game homestand on Tuesday, Dec. 30 against the Albany Great Danes. The game, which can be seen on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel and on the Niagara Sports Network, is a part of a doubleheader with the Niagara women's team who faces Mount St. Mary's at 5 p.m. For ticket information, contact the Niagara Athletic Ticket Office at 716-286-8499.
