NIAGARA UNIV, N.Y. – Meghan McGuinness and Victoria Rampado both scored 17 points for the Purple Eagles who came up short against the Quinnipiac Bobcats 93-78 on Saturday afternoon in the Gallagher Center.
 
Niagara (7-14; 5-7 MAAC) trailed early in the first half as Quinnipiac (13-9; 8-4 MAAC) was able to build a quick 5-0 lead. Niagara countered with a 5-for-5, wholesale change and Rampado and Sylvia Maxwell provided a spark to get the Purple Eagles within 8-6.
 
"I didn't think that we particularly started the game well, then I thought our group coming off the bench did a great job setting the tone," head coach Kendra Faustin said. "In the first half I thought offensively we really moved the ball.  I thought defensively we really choked the post well."
 
From there NU was off to the races and took control with a 20-4 run over a six-minute stretch between the 12:23 and 6:37 minute marks that, by the end of run had it in the lead 26-19. McGuinness scored six of her nine first-half points on the run and both Chanel Johnson and Val McQuade scored five. The defense stood tall and held Quinnipiac to 2-for-12 from the field during the run, including a stretch where the visitors were kept to 0-for-9.  
 
The Bobcats were able to claw back over the rest of the half to get within a possession as Niagara took a 41-39 lead into halftime. Niagara shot 50.0 percent (13-for-26) from the field in the opening period while holding Quinnipiac to 36.4 percent (12-for-33).
 
The duo of McGuinness and Rampado kept Niagara in the game in the second half after Quinnipiac started to connect from three-point range.  McGuinness twice took the lead away from the Bobcats with a pair of three-pointer of her own in the early going. Rampado hit eight of Niagara's 14 points on a 14-9 run, that got started with six-consecutive points from the freshman, and got the Purple Eagles within two points, 71-69. 
 
From there, Quinnipiac got hot over a two-minute stretch and was able to hang on to come away with the 93-79 win.
 
"I think it's in the paint that they really hurt us and that caused us to have to really double and dig and allow those three-point shooters to get free," said Faustin.
 
Four Purple Eagles finished the game in double-digit scoring. McGuinness shot 7-for-12 from the field and Rampado hit 7-of-8 free throws to tie for the team-lead with 17 points. Both Johnson and McQuade finished with 11 points. McGuinness led the team with six rebounds, Kelly Van Leeuwen had a team-high four assists, and Taylor McKay led NU with three steals.
 
Emily Granruth hit a jumper with 1:57 left for her first NCAA points. Combined with a pair of free throws, she scored Niagara's final four points of the game. 
 
The Purple and White are back in action next Friday at 4:00 p.m. when they go for the sweep of the Canisius Golden Griffins in a game that can be seen on ESPN 3.