GAME 10 |
SCORE |
Niagara Purple Eagles 66, Rider Broncs 55 |
RECORDS |
Niagara (5-5, 4-4 MAAC), Rider (3-8, 3-5 MAAC) |
LEADING SCORERS |
Niagara – Kobi Nwandu (21), Rider – Dwight Murry (17) |
LOCATION |
Gallagher Center |
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. –
Kobi Nwandu scored a season-high 21 points to lead all scorers and
Marcus Hammond recorded his third career double-double as the Purple Eagles defeated the Rider Broncs, 66-55, on Saturday to secure the season split.
Game Summary
The Purple Eagles outscored the Broncs, 43-26, in the second half to flip a six-point halftime deficit into an 11-point win.
Niagara got off to a 10-4 start five minutes into the contest. The Broncs took their first lead of the game at 17-15 at the 9:38 mark as part of a 13-5 run. Niagara led 21-19 with eight minutes left in the half, but the Broncs closed the opening stanza on a 10-2 run for a 29-23 lead.
Trailing 42-38 with 12 minutes remaining, the Purple Eagles used a 10-2 run of their own to go ahead for good as Nwandu provided half of the scoring in the three-minute run. The Purple Eagles held off the Broncs in the final five minutes. Leading 52-50, a
Jordan Cintron free throw followed by a
Greg Kuakumensah jumper pushed NU's lead to 55-50 with three minutes left. The Purple Eagles outscored the Broncs, 11-3, down the stretch which was started by a 3-point play by Hammond with 2:20 on the clock.
Eagle's Eye On…
- Kobi Nwandu netted a season-high 21 points on 7 of 15 shooting to score in double figures in nine straight games.
- Marcus Hammond posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while also tying a career-high in assists with eight.
Inside The Numbers
- Niagara improves to 3-1 at home this season.
- The Purple Eagles tied a season-low in turnovers with four.
- NU shot 61.9 percent (13-for-21) from the field in the second half.
Up Next
- The Purple Eagles head back on the road for a pair of games against the Manhattan Jaspers on January 15-16 at 6 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 www.PurpleEagles.com/Watch.
Stay connected with Niagara Men's Basketball on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Niagara Athletics all year long on Twitter, Instagram