GAME 16
SCORE	Niagara Purple Eagles 83, Monmouth Hawks 74
RECORDS	Niagara (7-9, 6-8 MAAC) | Monmouth (8-5, 8-4 MAAC)
LEADING SCORERS	Niagara – Kobi Nwandu (23) | Monmouth -  Donovann Toatley (17)
LOCATION	Gallagher Center

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The trio of Kobi Nwandu, Jordan Cintron, and Greg Kuakumensah combined for 57 points to help the Purple Eagles earn a 83-74 victory over the Monmouth Hawks on Saturday to split the season series.   

Game Summary
The Purple Eagles, who never trailed, led as much as 19 points on their way to halting a two-game slide while also snapping the Hawks' five-game winning streak. The Purple Eagles used a 19-5 avalanche in the second half to break open a five-point game.  

Niagara benefited from a hot shooting start en route to a 17-5 lead five minutes into the contest. The Purple Eagles built their lead by making 7 of 9 shots, including connecting on their first five.  A Shandon Brown driving layup increased the lead to 26-13 with 10:15 left in the first half, before the Hawks went on a run over the next eight minutes to cut Niagara's lead to 36-34. Cintron scored Niagara's next four points as the Purple Eagles closed the half on a 7-3 run for a 43-37 lead.  

Niagara kept Monmouth at bay through the opening 10 minutes of the half before going on the dominating 19-5 run. The Purple Eagles went 6-for-9 during the run, including three 3-pointers – Nwandu, Brown and Nick MacDonald – while forcing three Monmouth turnovers. Nwandu accounted for eight points in the stretch with Cintron scoring five points on his way to setting a new career-high.

Niagara's lead remained in double-digits until the final minute.   

Eagle's Eye On…

• Kobi Nwandu set a career-high in scoring with a game-high 25 points, for his third straight 20-point game. He scored 10 of his 25 points from the free-throw line which are a season-high by a Purple Eagle. He added three assists to share team-high honors while playing all 40 minutes.  
• Jordan Cintron scored a career-high 22 points. He was perfect from the field (8-for-8) and went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line with his only missed coming on his final free throw attempt. Cintron grabbed a team-high eight rebounds which ties a season-high for the Bronx native.
• Greg Kuakumensah had his third straight game scoring 10 points. He added six rebounds and swatted a game-high two blocks.

Inside The Numbers

• The Purple Eagles improved to 4-2 in home games.  
• Niagara shot 51.9 percent from the field, shooting over 50 percent in both half, which is Niagara's second highest field goal percentage this season.  
• Niagara improved to 3-0 when shooting over 50 percent from the field.
• One day after setting a season-high in assists with 16, the Purple Eagles surpassed that total with 17 with eight different Purple Eagles having an assist.
• The Purple Eagles outrebounded the Hawks, 38-35. NU is 4-0 when outrebounding opponents.
• Kobi Nwandu's 25 points are the most by a Purple Eagle this season.
• Jordan Cintron is the first Purple Eagle to shoot 100 percent from the field with a minimum of five attempts since Matt Scott (5-for-5) on December 6, 2014 versus Canisius.
• Kobi Nwandu and Jordan Cintron are the second pair of Purple Eagles to each score 20 points in a game this season.

Up Next

• The Purple Eagles are back in action on February 12-13 when they host the Siena Saints at 4 p.m.
• Coverage of the game will be provided by ESPN+/ESPN3 and by the Niagara Sports Network via 107.3 FM/AM 1400 and WGR 550 AM and www.PurpleEagles.com/Watch.
• The meeting on February 13 will be the virtual sellout game. For more information, visit www.PurpleEagles.com/VirtualSellout.

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