| GAME 15 |
| SCORE |
Niagara Purple Eagles 70, Iona Gaels 69 |
| RECORDS |
Niagara (4-11, 2-2 MAAC), Iona (3-8, 1-3 MAAC) |
| LEADING SCORERS |
Niagara – Marcus Hammond (20) | Iona – E.J. Crawford (22) |
| LOCATION |
Hynes Center |
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Purple Eagles outlasted preseason favorites and four-time defending MAAC Champions Iona, 70-69, in a thrilling contest on Sunday afternoon to even their conference record.
Game Summary
Nicholas Kratholm scored the go-ahead basket with an uncontested layup with 45 seconds remaining to break the eighth and final tied score of the game.
Shandon Brown grabbed an offensive rebound near the sideline and his alertness found Kratholm open in the paint for layup to take a 69-67 lead.
After Iona missed a 3-pointer on its next possession, the Purple Eagles made 1 of 2 free throws for a 70-67 advantage with 24 seconds left. Iona's Isaiah Washington scored a layup to cut the lead to one point, 70-69, with 12 seconds on the clock; however, the Purple Eagles broke several traps and foul attempts by the Gaels to run out the remaining time on the clock.
Justin Roberts set a career-high in scoring with a game-high 14 points at halftime as NU trailed 30-26. The Gaels had a 20-9 lead before Roberts connected on a pair of 3-pointers in consecutive possessions. Niagara trailed 25-15, but outscored Iona 11-5 to close out the final eight minutes of the first half.
The Purple Eagles trailed 37-29 early in the second half before hitting back with a 13-3 run.
Marcus Hammond and
Raheem Solomon combined to score all 13 points while going 5-for-5 from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range. Hammond's 3-pointer at the 15:57 mark gave NU a 42-40 lead for the Purple Eagles' first lead since a 3-0 lead 36 seconds into the game.
The Gaels answered with a 9-0 run for a 49-42 lead with 11:47 on the clock, but the Purple Eagles stayed poise. Niagara went on an 11-3 run to take a 53-52 lead with 8:52 left. Iona went ahead by reeling off five straight points for a 57-53 lead with 7:28 on the clock. Niagara tied the score twice over the next two minutes before a
Nick MacDonald triple pushed NU ahead, 64-63. Iona's E.J. Crawford layup gave the Gaels a brief lead, but Solomon drained a 3-pointer on the next possession for a 67-65 lead with four minutes left.
Eagle's Eye On…
- Marcus Hammond led the Purple Eagles in scoring with 20 points for his second straight 20-point game. He made 7 of 17 shots, including going 4-for-9 from the 3-point line. He led NU in assists with four.
- Justin Roberts set a new career-high in scoring with 18 points, including 14 in the first half, and made a career-high four 3-pointers.
- Raheem Solomon notched his first career double-double. He finished with 17 points, which ties a season-high, and grabbed a career-best 10 boards to lead the team. Solomon was a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range.
Inside The Numbers
- The Purple Eagles were efficient from 3-point range. NU made a season-high 15 3-pointers, which are tied for third most in program history, and shot a season-best 57.7 percent.
- Niagara has won three of the last four meetings at Iona which is the program's best run since winning three out of four at Iona from 2005-09.
- Marcus Hammond is the first Purple Eagle to record consecutive 20-point games this season.
Up Next
- The Purple Eagles return home for a pair of games, starting on Friday, January 17 versus the Rider Broncs
- Coverage of the game will be provided by ESPN 3 and by the Niagara Sports Network via WGR 550 AM and www.PurpleEagles.com/Watch.
- For ticket information, contact the Niagara Athletic Ticket Office at 716-286 TIXX, tickets@Niagara.edu or www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets.
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