| GAME 28 |
| SCORE |
Niagara Purple Eagles 63, Saint Peter's Peacocks 54 |
| RECORDS |
Niagara (10-18, 8-9 MAAC) | Saint Peter's (15-12, 12-6 MAAC) |
| LEADING SCORERS |
Niagara – Marcus Hammond (21) | Saint Peter's – Daryl Banks III (14) |
| LOCATION |
Gallagher Center |
NIAGARA UNIV, N.Y. –
Marcus Hammond scored a game-high 21 points to help steer the Purple Eagles past the first-place Saint Peter's Peacocks, 63-54, on Thursday night.
Game Summary
The Purple Eagles closed the final minute of the game on a 7-0 run while the Peacocks were held scoreless in the last three minutes.
Marcus Hammond started the run with an impactful basket when he connected on a baseline jumper to give Niagara a 58-54 lead with 1:06 on the clock. The Peacocks missed their final three shots of the game as the Purple Eagles sealed the contest at the free-throw line, making 5 of 6 attempts.
Niagara led 8-2 after three minutes into the contest and maintained a lead until Saint Peter's took a 24-22 lead with four minutes left in the period. The game was knotted at 26-26 at halftime.
The Purple Eagles created some separation in the second half when they outscored the Peacocks 14-4 in a 5:30 span en route to their largest lead, 48-37, with 10:20 remaining. After Saint Peter's cut the lead to 50-46, NU answered with a 6-2 spurt for a 56-48 lead with 4:53 remaining. Saint Peter's trimmed the eight-point deficit to 56-54 at the 3:17 mark. However, the Peacocks would go scoreless for the rest of the game.
Eagle's Eye On…
- Marcus Hammond scored a game-high 21 points for his eighth 20-point game of the season and second straight. He shot a season-high 81.8 percent from the field and grabbed six rebounds to share team-high honors.
- Shandon Brown dished out a game-high four assists and went 7-for-7 at the free-throw line.
Inside The Numbers
- Niagara improved to 7-2 in league games at the Gallagher Center, including winning four straight.
- The Purple Eagles shot 90.9 percent (10-for-11) from the free-throw line for the second straight game.
- Niagara allowed a season-low 54 points and tied a season-low in opponent field goal percentage (.362).
Up Next
- The Purple Eagles play their final home game of the season when they host the Iona Gaels on Saturday, February 29 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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