SCORE: Niagara 96, Alabama A&M 74
RECORDS: Niagara (2-3, 0-0 MAAC), Alabama A&M (0-5, 0-0 SWAC)
LOCATION: Frank and Barbara Layden Court at the Gallagher Center
Barclays Center Classic Campus Round
 
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – After starting the season with four road games, the Niagara University men's basketball team opened its home schedule with a 96-74 victory over the Alabama A&M Bulldogs as part of the Barclays Center Classic Campus Round on Friday night.
 
Game Summary
The Purple Eagles started the game the better of the two teams, taking an 8-2 lead after three-plus minutes. Alabama A&M tied the game at 10-10, but Niagara hit back with a game-changing run. The Purple Eagles went on a 17-3 run, in which they connected on four 3-pointers, in a four-minute span. The Bulldogs cut the lead to five points on five different occasions, before NU took a 45-37 halftime lead.
 
NU pushed its lead to 13 points with five straight points to open the second half. After AAM trimmed the lead to six points, Matt Scott and James Towns combined for an 8-0 run. A quick 5-0 spurt by the Bulldogs was halted by a six straight points by Scott for a 64-49 lead with 11 minutes remaining. From there, the Purple Eagles' lead snowballed. While Scott and Dukes carried the bulk of the scoring load, the duo got assistance from Kevin Larkin and Towns to help build a 20-point lead with four minutes left.
 
Eagle's Eye On…

• After posting a career-high 36 points at BYU, Matt Scott scored a game-high 28 points on 8 of 12 shooting from the field and 11-for-14 at the free-throw line.  Scott had a team-high four assists.
• Kahlil Dukes went 6-for-9 from the field, including making 3 of 5 3-pointers, and went 8-for-8 at the free-throw line en route to 23 points.
• Kevin Larkin scored a season-high 10 points in 10 minutes.
• James Towns added 10 points.
• Marvin Prochet had a game-high nine rebounds.

 
Inside The Numbers

• Niagara is 8-3 in its last 11 home openers, including winning five of its last seven.
• Kahlil Dukes has made 23 consecutive free throws, four shy of tying a program record held by Calvin Murphy set during the 1969-70 season.
• Niagara, which entered the game leading the MAAC in scoring at 80.5 points per game, scored a season-high 96 points.

 
Up Next

• Niagara will play for the championship on Saturday at 7 p.m. against the winner of the Western Carolina/UT Arlington game.
• Listen to Saturday's game on the Niagara Sports Network via ESPN 1520 AM.
• For ticket information, contact the Niagara Athletic Ticket Office at 716-286-TIXX, tickets@Niagara.edu, or www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets.

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