GAME 24
SCORE	Niagara Purple Eagles 69, Canisius Golden Griffins 66
RECORDS	Niagara (8-16, 6-7 MAAC) | Canisius (9-15, 4-9 MAAC)
LEADING SCORERS	Niagara – Marcus Hammond (17) | Canisius – Jacco Fritz (18)
LOCATION	Gallagher Center

 
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara Purple Eagles battled their way to a 69-66 win against longtime rival Canisius on Wednesday night for their third straight victory in the series.
 
Game Summary
Clutch free throws and a defensive stop lifted the Purple Eagles to a nail-biting victory over the Golden Griffins. The Purple Eagles had to overcome a one point deficit in the final minute to pull out the win.
 
Niagara looked on its way to the victory when Marcus Hammond converted a layup to give the Purple Eagles a 65-61 lead with 2:49 remaining. However, Canisius scored five straight points, including a putback layup on a missed free throw, to take a 66-65 lead into the final minute.
 
On Niagara's next possession, Raheem Solomon was fouled driving to the basket and the sophomore drained both free throws for a 67-66 lead with 31 seconds on the clock. On the en suing possession, the Golden Griffins' Malik Johnson turned over the ball; Justin Roberts collected the ball and scored a layup for a 69-66 advantage with 20 seconds remaining.
 

Scoop and score!!

💻 https://t.co/W9GHeA3nzi#EaglesTakeFlight #maAChoops pic.twitter.com/B91xcQoLgj

— Niagara Basketball (@NiagaraMBB) February 13, 2020

 
Canisius missed two 3-pointers in its attempt to tie the game and was eventually called for a travel with four seconds left as NU closed out the game with the win.  
 
Niagara benefitted from a quick start as the Purple Eagles led 8-2 after four minutes. Canisius cut the lead to 13-12 before the Purple Eagles went on a 9-0 run for a 22-12 lead with 6:51 remaining in the first half. NU saw its 34-24 lead with three minutes left trimmed to 34-32 at the break as the Griffins closed the half on an 8-0 run.
 
The margin was close throughout the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Golden Griffins took their first lead on the night, 51-50, on a Jacco Fritz layup with 9:48 on the clock. James Towns immediately answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession, and his jumper at the 7:57 mark tied the game at 55-55.

NU trailed 59-58 with five minutes left, but Hammond provided five straight points for a 63-59 lead with 3:44 remaining. His jumper at the 2:49 mark gave NU a four-point lead heading into the final two minutes.

Eagle's Eye On…

• Marucs Hammond scored a team-high 17 points, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, and dished out three assists to share team-high honors in a team-leading 33 minutes.
• James Towns poured in 16 points to be in double figures in five straight games against Canisius.
• Greg Kuakumensah netted 12 points to be in double figures for the fourth straight game.

 
Inside The Numbers

• Niagara has won six of the last seven meetings, including three straight.
• The Purple Eagles, who lead the MAAC in assist-to-turnover ratio, finished with 12 assists and six turnovers for a 2.0 ratio.  
• NU outscored Canisius in points in the paint (34-28).

 
Up Next

• The Purple Eagles remain at home to face the Monmouth Hawks on Sunday, February 16 at 1 p.m.
• Coverage of the game will be provided by ESPN3 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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