SCORE: Niagara 75, LIU Brooklyn 66
RECORDS: Niagara (4-9), LIU Brooklyn (7-6)
LOCATION: Barclays Center – Brooklyn, New York
 
BROOKLYN – A balanced team performance lifted the Niagara Purple Eagles to a 75-66 victory over the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds on Wednesday at the Barclays Center.
 
Game Summary
The Purple Eagles received contributions from numerous players and pulled away in the second half to close out their 2016 schedule with a win.
 
NU flipped a 12-5 deficit six minutes into the game into a 21-16 lead behind a 16-4 run in a six-minute span. A Matt Scott layup gave Niagara a 32-24 lead with four minutes remaining in the half and NU held off a late LIU run to head into halftime leading 36-34.   
 
The opening five minutes of the second half had four ties. With the score knotted at 44-44, a Marvin Prochet free throw broke the tie with 13:18 remaining as Niagara reeled off six straight points for 50-44 lead.
  
After LIU cut the lead to 50-46, Chris Barton drained a 3-pointer to spark a 6-0 run. The Purple Eagles, who maintained at least a seven-point lead for the remainder of the game, matched their largest lead of 12 points on three different occasions with final time on a Scott layup with 5:54 left in the game.
 
Eagle's Eye On…

• Chris Barton had season-highs in points with 14 and in rebounds with seven in his first start of the season.
• Brooklyn natives Matt Scott and Marvin Prochet had solid games. Scott shared game-high honors in scoring with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists. Prochet scored 13 points, had seven rebounds and two blocks.
• Dominic Robb, the MAAC-leader in blocks, swatted a career-high seven shots and grabbed 11 rebounds for a career high.
• James Towns led the game with a career-high seven assists.
• Ali Tew added six points and a DI career-high seven rebounds in 13 minutes of action.  

 
Inside The Numbers

• Nine Purple Eagles scored for the third time this season.
• Niagara had 10 blocks which are the most since 2009.  
• Robb's seven blocks are tied for fifth most in program history and are the most by a Purple Eagle since Benson Egemonye had seven at Saint Peter's on Jan. 9, 2009. The seven blocks are also tied for ninth most in the nation this season.
• The Purple Eagles held a 47-32 advantage on the boards while outscoring the Blackbirds, 22-11, in second chance points and 18-10 in bench points.

 
Up Next

• The Purple Eagles will be back in action on January 2 against Quinnipiac at 7p.m. from the Gallagher Center.
• The game will air on the Niagara Sports Network via LCTV, AM 1400 WWWS and PurpleEagles.com.
• For ticket information, contact the Niagara Athletic Ticket Office at 716-286-TIXX, tickets@Niagara.edu or www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets.

 
Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for men's basketball updates at @NiagaraMBB. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles