| GAME 1 |
| SCORE |
Drexel Dragons 72, Niagara Purple Eagles 64 |
| RECORDS |
Drexel (1-1), Niagara (0-1) |
| LEADING SCORERS |
Drexel – James Butler (22) | Niagara – James Towns (17) |
| LOCATION |
Daskalakis Center |
| TOURNAMENT |
Garden State Hardwood Classic |
PHILADELPHIA –
James Towns' 17 points led Niagara in scoring as the Purple Eagles were clipped in a close contest by the Drexel Dragons, 72-64, in the season opener on Friday.
Game Summary
A pivotal 10-second span in the second half made the difference in tonight's game. T.J. Bickerstaff scored a layup and was fouled at the 8:58 mark to cut Niagara's lead to 48-46. Bickerstaff missed the free throw, but James Butler collected the rebound, scored, was fouled and made the free throw for a 49-48 lead. Niagara turned it over on its next possession which led to a layup by Drexel to cap the 7-0 spurt in 10 seconds.
The Dragons continued their run to build a 60-50 advantage with 6:48 left. The Purple Eagles trimmed a 64-53 deficit with 3:59 left to 68-64 after a
James Towns jumper with 28 seconds remaining, but the Dragons scored the final four points of the game.
There were four lead changes in the opening six minutes. Trailing 10-8,
Raheem Solomon's 3-pointer sparked a 13-3 run for a 21-13 Niagara lead with eight minutes left in the half.
The Dragons reeled off eight straight points to tie the game at 21-21, but NU outscored Drexel, 11-10, in the final five minutes of the half. The Purple Eagles scored the last five points – a
Nicholas Kratholm layup and a
Marcus Hammond 3-pointer – for a 32-31 lead at the break.
Eagle's Eye On…
- James Towns led NU in scoring with 17 points and added three assists
- Marcus Hammond netted 12 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
- Raheem Solomon finished with 12 points, including a game-high 10 points in the first half.
- Shandon Brown had a team-high four assists.
Up Next
- The Purple Eagles continue their season opening road swing at Rutgers on Sunday, November 10 at 1 p.m.
- Coverage of the game will be provided by BTN Plus, and by the Niagara Sports Network via 107.3 FM/AM 1400 and www.PurpleEagles.com/Watch.
Stay connected with Niagara Men's Basketball on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Niagara Athletics all year long on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and purpleeagles.com.
