NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Despite a second half that saw Niagara (3-4, 0-1 MAAC) shoot 44.4 percent from the field, the Iona (3-2, 1-0 MAAC) lead proved to be too much to overcome as the Gaels came out on top, 78-56, in MAAC men's basketball action Saturday night at the Hynes Center.

Three Purple Eagles recorded double-digit points, led by Aaron Gray's 14 on 6-for-10 shooting. Noah Thomasson and Harlan Obioha added 12 and 10, respectively. 
 
First Half
• Niagara and Iona both got off to a slow start on the offensive end, leading to a 4-4 tie at the first media timeout.
• The Gaels would score eight straight before Thomasson recorded back-to-back baskets to end the Iona run and make the score 12-8 with just over 11 minutes to go in the first half.
• The next 4:03 of gameplay saw Iona take a 12-point lead, 21-9, following a 9-1 run before  Gray got a much-needed basket for NU to make it a 21-11 game with 7:59 on the clock.
• Iona would score 12 unanswered to go up by 22 points, 33-11, before Niagara's next basket, a floater in the lane by David Mitchell.
• Niagara would just score three points in the final three minutes of the half and go into the break trailing 38-16.
 
Second Half
• Six minutes into the second stanza, Iona would have its largest lead of the contest, a 48-23 lead, forcing NU to call timeout.
• From the 14:33 mark to the 11:33 mark, Niagara would outscore Iona 9-4, with five points coming from Obioha, cutting the Gael advantage to 20, 32-52.
• With the score 55-33 in favor of the Gaels with 10:28 to go in the contest, Iona would go on a 9-4 spurt of its own, taking a 64-37 advantage with 7:40 remaining in the contest.
• Over the next 2:42 of action, NU would go 2-for-3 from the floor and 4-for-6 at the line to make it a 72-45 game in favor of the Gaels with just under five minutes remaining in the contest.  
• The Purple Eagles would call timeout with 3:27 on the clock Niagara would call timeout with Iona up 74-45.
• Lance Erving and Mitchell would connect on the Purple Eagles' first 3-pointers for NU, making it a 76-54 contest with a minute and a half to play.
• Each team would score a basket in the final minute of action to give the game its 78-56 final.
 
Niagara Notes
• Friday marked the 91st meeting of all-time between Iona and Niagara, with the Gaels improving to 51-40 in the series.
• Niagara shot 44.4 percent from the field in the second half and 35.8 percent for the contest.
• Multiple Purple Eagles recorded double-digit scoring numbers for the fifth-straight contest.
• Gray finished with a season-high 14 points, his fourth game with double-figures as a Purple Eagle. 
• Thomasson reached double-digits for the sixth-straight time this season. 
• Gray and Obioha collected a team-best six boards, as Niagara finished with 36 caroms. Sam Iorio grabbed five rebounds for the sixth time in seven games this season. 
• Niagara's 11 offensive rebounds led to 12 second-chance points.  
• Obioha's season-high 10 points led NU reserves, who finished with 24 points.
 
Up Next
• Niagara will continue its MAAC road trip as it heads to Hamden, Conn., to take on Quinnipiac at 3 p.m. Sunday at the M&T Bank Arena. The contest between the Purple Eagles and Bobcats will air on ESPN+ and Todd Callen will have the call on 107.3 FM/1400 AM.
 
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