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Niagara University Athletics

88
Winner Niagara NIA 10-22
69
Quinnipiac QUI 10-21
Winner
Niagara NIA
10-22
88
Final
69
Quinnipiac QUI
10-21
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Niagara NIA 29 59 88
Quinnipiac QUI 27 42 69

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Purple Eagles Soar Over Bobcats In MAAC First Round, 88-69

SCORE: No. 9 Niagara 88, No. 8 Quinnipiac 69
RECORDS: Niagara (10-22), Quinnipiac (10-21)
LOCATION: Times Union Center – Albany, New York
 
ALBANY, N.Y. – A dominant second half pushed the ninth-seeded Purple Eagles past the No. 8 seed Quinnipiac Bobcats, 88-69, in the 2017 MAAC Tournament First Round on Thursday.
 
Game Summary
A 16-3 run midway through the second half turned a close game into a rout in favor of the Purple Eagles. Leading 56-53 with nine minutes remaining, James Towns started the run with a 3-pointer as Niagara scored 12 straight points with Towns pouring in 10 points during the stretch.  A pair of free throws by Marvin Prochet capped the run with the Purple Eagles holding a commanding 72-56 lead with 5:40 left.  Niagara used another double-digit run to seal the game. The Purple Eagles reeled off a 10-0 run in a two-minute span en route to the game's largest lead, 83-61, with three minutes remaining.
 
The tightly contested first half featured 10 lead changes and five ties after the Purple Eagles raced out to a 9-2 lead, with Maurice Taylor Jr. providing five points, through the opening six minutes.  A Marvin Prochet putback layup with 38 seconds left in the half gave NU a 29-27 halftime lead. Trailing 35-32 early into the second half, Niagara went ahead for good on a 14-3 run with five different Purple Eagles scoring.
 
Eagle's Eye On…      
  • Matt Scott led the game with 19 points on 8 of 14 shooting from the field.
  • Kahlil Dukes scored 18 points, including going 11-for-12 at the free-throw line. He dished out a team-high six assists and led the game with a career-high five steals.
  • Chris Barton tied a season-high in scoring with 15 points on 5 of 6 shooting from the field.
  • James Towns scored 14 points for his first double figures game since scoring a career-high 17 points against Drexel on November 23.
  • Maurice Taylor Jr. grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, which are the most by a Purple Eagle in seven seasons and are the third most in the MAAC this season.
 
Inside The Numbers
  • Niagara won its first MAAC Tournament game since 2014 and its first MAAC Tournament win in the Times Union Center in the last four trips.
  • The 19-point win is Niagara's largest in the MAAC Tournament since 2009 when the Purple Eagles defeated Marist, 79-50, in the quarterfinals.
  • Niagara's 59 second half points are six points shy from tying the modern-day program record of 65 points set at Maine on January 12, 1987.
  • The Purple Eagles outscored the Bobcats in points in the paint (34-18), off turnovers (21-12), second chance points (18-10), fast break points (12-7) and bench points (25-21).
  • After being outrebounded by seven and 12, respectively, in the two regular season games, Niagara outrebounded Quinnipiac, 44-32

Up Next
  • The Purple Eagles will face No. 1 seed Monmouth in the MAAC Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday, March 3 at 7 p.m.
  • The game will air on ESPN3 and on the Niagara Sports Network via AM 1400 WWWS and PurpleEagles.com.
 
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.
 
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