NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – The Purple Eagles set single-game highs in points, field goals, 3-pointers, rebounds, and assists, en route to a 91-53 drubbing of D'Youville Wenesday afternoon at the Gallagher Center to improve to 3-2 overall on the season. Three Purple Eagles reached double-digits, led by Noah Thomasson's 15 points. Sam Iorio and Aaron Gray added 14 and 12 respectively.
 
First Half
• Niagara started the game on an 8-0 run with a pair of 3-pointers, one from Gray and another from Bryce Moore, as well as two at the line from Braxton Bayless.
• By the time the under-12 media timeout came around, D'Youville had tied the game at 12 following a 12-4 run by the Saints.
• The Saints would take a 15-12 lead after the media timeout, but Niagara would respond with a 19-5 run to take a 31-20 lead over the visiting Saints.
• During the stretch, Thomasson scored seven points, followed by David Mitchell with five and Iorio with four. As a team, Niagara would go 7-for-11 from the field and 4-for-5 from 3-point land.
• Niagara would end the half on a 12-8 advantage, highlighted by a buzzer beating layup from Iorio, to take a 40-28 lead into the break.
 
Second Half
• The second half started just like the first half ended, with NU going on a three-minute long run that saw baskets from Iorio, Moore and Thomasson to put the Purple and White up by 22, 55-33, with 16:17 to play.
• From there, the Niagara offense would continue to click, as it used the next 4:12 of game play to take a 31-point lead, 68-37.
• Over the next 10-plus of game action, the Purple Eagles would outscore D'Youville 25-7, getting points from everyone on the court, including freshman Shane Lancaster who tallied seven during the run.
• Gray, Harlan Obioha, Joe Kasperzyk, Thomasson, Moore and Mitchell also contributed to get NU its largest lead of the game, 91-44.
• D'Youville would score nine points in the final minute-plus to cut NU's 47-point advantage down to 38, 91-53, as the final buzzer went off.
 
Niagara Notes
• The Purple Eagles improve to 3-2 on the season and are over .500 for the first time this season.
• Niagara registered its second game of the season shooting 50.0 percent or higher from the field, finishing the game 52.2 percent (35-67) from the floor.
• The Purple and White connected on 13 3-pointers, the most in a single game since it hit 12 from beyon the arch versus Manhattan last February.
• Thomasson connected on a career-high four 3-pointers and was one of seven Purple Eagles to record at least one.
•  Five Purple Eagles recorded five or ore rebounds, led by Harlan Obioha's season-high eight. Iorio was second on the team with six, followed by Moore, Gray, and Thomasson with five.
• Niagara finished the game with 23 assists as Bayless recorded six and Thomasson had five.
• It was the first time since Feb. 4, 2022 vs. Manhattan that NU collected 20 or more assists.
• Niagara's seven turnovers is its fewest this season.
 
Up Next
• The Purple and Whtie will renew a 114-year-old rivalry on Saturday afternoon as it takes on St. John's in Queens, NY at 2 p.m. on FS2. The contest between the Purple Eagles and Red Storm can also be hear live on WGR 550 and the Niagara Sports Network (Audio Only) as Todd Callen will be on the call from Carnesecca Arena.
 
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