OLEAN, N.Y. – The Niagara women's basketball team was defeated by Big 4 rival St. Bonaventure, 67-55, on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

Sam Lapszynski recorded the third double-double of her career with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Lapszynski led the Purple Eagles in scoring and rebounding. Taylor McKay added 13 points and six rebounds. Jamie Sherburne led the team in steals with four, trailed narrowly by Kaylee Stroemple with three steals. Stroemple also had 10 rebounds.

"I'm very proud of this group," said Niagara head coach Jada Pierce. "Today, we showed a lot of heart and a lot of toughness on the defensive end, just like we did the other night. We are taking our growing pains, which is to be expected. Not having a long bench really does hurt us, but we don't use it as an excuse because every young lady that got in today, all seven that got in, gave us everything they had and I just told them in the locker room how incredibly proud I was and if we continue to play defense the way that we're playing it, we will cause some problems in the MAAC."

Tiffany Corselli opened scoring, giving the Purple Eagles an early 2-0 lead a little less than 30 seconds into the game. A pair of layups from Lapszynski and McKay at 8:44 and 7:56, respectively, gave Niagara a 6-3 lead. Corselli hit a 3-point jumper with 7:19 left in the first to put the Purple Eagles up 9-5. With 1:15 remaining in the first, Sherburne took advantage of a Stroemple steal and made a layup in the paint, putting the Purple Eagles up 15-10. With two seconds left in the quarter, McKay scored two and Niagara led 17-13 going into the second quarter.

McKay hit a jump-shot with 8:29 left in the second quarter, opening scoring in the second and extending the Purple Eagles' lead to 19-13. With 2:55 left in the first half, Emily Granruth showed off her shooting skills, sinking a 3-pointer to put Niagara up 28-20. However, with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, the Bonnies (10-2) made a comeback and the score was tied, 28 all, going into halftime.

The Bonnies scored six straight points to open the third quarter, but Niagara (1-9) did not let up. Lapszynski scored two with 6:36 left in the third to narrow St. Bonaventure's lead, 34-30. Granruth hit another 3-point shot with 5:55 left, putting the Purple Eagles within one point of the lead, 34-33. However, the Bonnies began to pull away and the quarter ended with St. Bonaventure in the lead, 45-36.

Lapszynski scored the first four points for the Purple Eagles in the fourth quarter, putting the score at 51-40 with 7:02 left in the game, with the Bonnies in the lead. With 6:42 left, Corselli hit a jumper, cutting the Bonnies' lead to 10 points, 52-42. With 4:06 left, Stroemple scored two, followed shortly by a Sherburne layup, but the Bonnies maintained their lead, 62-47. With 1:14 left in the fourth quarter, Granruth sank her third 3-pointer of the game, bringing Niagara back within 10 points of the lead, 64-54. The Purple Eagles, however, were not able to regain a lead and the Bonnies came away with the 67-55 win.

The Purple Eagles play their last game of 2015 on Tuesday, Dec. 29 at Mount St. Mary's at 2:00 p.m.

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