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Niagara University Athletics

Noah Thomasson shoots the ball at St. John's
Demetrius Kazanas
64
Winner Niagara Niag 4-4,1-1 MAAC
60
Quinnipiac QU 7-2,0-1 MAAC
Winner
Niagara Niag
4-4,1-1 MAAC
64
Final
60
Quinnipiac QU
7-2,0-1 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Niagara Niag 29 35 64
Quinnipiac QU 25 35 60

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Hot Shooting Lifts NU Over Quinnipiac

HAMDEN, CONN. – Niagara (4-4, 1-1 MAAC) made eight 3-pointers in the second half to earn a 64-60 road win over Quinnipiac (7-2, 0-1 MAAC) Sunday afternoon in MAAC men's basketball action from M&T Bank Arena. 
 
Noah Thomasson led the Purple Eagles with 24 points and five assists, while Aaron Gray added 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds to help the Purple Eagles earn their first conference win of the season. 
 
Game Recap
First Half
• Quinnipiac would have an early 7-2 lead four minutes into the opening stanza before a 3-pointer by Gray and a layup from Thomasson tied the game at seven two and a half minutes later. 
• Over the next 10 minutes of action, the lead would change hands a total of eight times, leading to a 19-16 lead for the Bobcats with 5:45 on the clock.
• A 13-6 run over the last five minutes of the half by the Purple Eagles gave Niagara a 29-25 lead at the break. 
• Sam Iorio and Noah Thomasson would pace NU in the last five minutes, and the pair would go into the break with seven and eight points, respectively. 
 
Second Half
• Niagara opened the half with five unanswered, including a 3-point ball from Gray, which gave NU its largest lead of the game, 34-25. 
• The Bobcats would go on a 5-0 run of its own to make it a 34-30 game with 15:06 left in regulation. 
• Thomasson would connect on back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Purple and White up by 11, 42-31. 
• From there, Quinnipiac would trim the NU lead to five, 47-42, with just over nine minutes to go. 
• Gray would connect on his fourth 3-pointer of the game and Niagara's seventh of the half to give the Purple Eagles a 56-47 lead with 7:19 left in the contest. 
• A 7-0 run by the Bobcats over 3:32 of gameplay trimmed the Niagara lead to two points, 58-56. 
• With the score 62-60 with just over a minute to play, Quinnipiac would miss a pair at the line to keep NU on top. 
• Lance Erving would connect on his free throws to give the Purple Eagles a 64-60 win on the road. 
 
Niagara Notes
• Sunday marked the 23rd meeting against Quinnipiac, with Niagara improving to 10-13. 
• First win in Hamden since Feb. 2, 2020, for the Purple Eagles. 
• The Purple Eagles finished the game 22-for-54 (40.7%) from the field, 10-for-24 (41.7%) from 3-point land, and 10-for-14 (71.4%) from the line. 
• Niagara outrebounded Quinnipiac 31-30, including 13-11 on the offensive glass, leading to 14 second-chance points. 
• NU's 10 makes from beyond the arc marks the second time this season that the Purple and White made double-digit 3-pointers, led by Thomasson and Gray, who made four apiece. 
• Thomasson reached the 20-point plateau for the third time this season and the eighth time as a Purple Eagle. Sunday also marked the third time this season that the Houston, Texas, native made four 3-pointers. 
• Gray has scored double-digit points in five of eight games this season. 
• Iorio finished with seven points while matching his season-high with seven boards.  
 
Up Next
• Niagara will resume non-conference action on Sunday, Dec. 11, when it welcomes Eastern Michigan to the legendary Taps Gallagher Center for a 1 p.m. contest on ESPN+. 
 
Stay connected with Niagara Men's Basketball on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Niagara Athletics all year long on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, purpleeagles.com, and the Niagara Purple Eagles app. 
 
 
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