BUFFALO, N.Y. – Val McQuade scored a team-high 14 points in Niagara's 62-53 loss to Canisius on Friday afternoon in the Koessler Center.
 
McQuade hit 3-of-4 looks from three-point range and 5-for-9 from the field.  One of those three-pointers came with 5:07 left to play and capped a 10-2 run that brought the Purple Eagles (7-15; 5-8 MAAC) within 45-43. The junior from Pittsburgh, Pa. scored eight of her points over the three-minute run.
 
Canisius (9-13; 5-8 MAAC) built the lead back up to 11-points when Kelly Van Leeuwen hit a pair of threes down the stretch that got the Purple Eagles back within two possessions, 56-51. That was as close as Niagara would get as the Golden Griffins went on to a 62-53 win.
 
Van Leeuwen and Gabby Baldasare tied for the team-lead with nine rebounds apiece. 
 
"I thought that the things that we talked about before the game, one big one was rebounding, and I thought we did a great job rebounding in the first game and we did not tonight," head coach Kendra Faustin said.
 
The first half started slow but Niagara was the first team to get rolling with a 9-2 run that put them up 10-4 with 14:40 raining in the half. Four Purple Eagles got in on the run which started with a layup from Chanel Johnson. Baldasare, McQuade, and Sylvia Maxwell also contributed. 

NU built a seven-point, 15-8, lead by keeping Canisius off the board from beyond the arc through much of the early going.  The hosts were able to heat up late in the half to take a 25-19 lead into break.

Van Leeuwen had six rebounds in the opening half and the Purple Eagles held a rebounding edge 25-21.
 
Niagara is back in action this Sunday when it plays the Rider Broncs in Lawrenceville, N.J. at 1:00 p.m.