LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – Kaylee Stroemple scored a career-high 24 points in Niagara's 54-45 win over Siena on Saturday.

Stroemple also led the Purple Eagles in rebounding with 12 rebounds, tying her career-high, and recorded her fifth double-double of the season. Taylor McKay added 10 points and nine rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double. Sam Lapszynski had a team-high four blocks.

"Great team effort today," said head coach Jada Pierce. "We did a really great job rebounding the ball which was a huge difference in the game I felt. We knew if we could outrebound this team, we had a shot at winning. Overall, I felt this was one of our best defensive efforts all year in which we covered the shooters on their team as well as guarded dribble penetration really well."

Both teams came out strong in the first quarter, keeping the score close. At the end of the first quarter, Niagara and Siena were tied, 10-10. Kaylee Stroemple had eight of the Purple Eagles' first quarter points.

Niagara went on a 6-0 run to start the second quarter and was ahead of Siena, 16-10, with a little over eight minutes left in the quarter. The Purple Eagles' defense held the Saints to only seven points in the second quarter and Niagara went into halftime leading 22-17.

The Saints made a comeback in the third and with a little over three minutes remaining in the quarter, the score was once again tied, 30-30. Buckets from Stroemple and Kharysma Bryant put the Purple Eagles back in the lead, 34-30. At the end of the third quarter, Niagara led Siena, 34-32.

Two 3-pointers from Tiffany Corselli midway through the fourth quarter extended the Purple Eagles' lead to eight, 44-36. With under a minute to play, the Saints trailed Niagara by only three points, 48-45, but a bucket from Stroemple and free throws from both Stroemple and Jayla Nichols helped cement Niagara's win.

The Purple Eagles are back in action on Thursday, March 3 in the first round of the MAAC Championships in Albany, N.Y.

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