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Niagara University Athletics

GP talks to players
Daniel Horan
63
Niagara Niag 0-1,0-0 MAAC
70
Winner Notre Dame ND 1-0,0-0 ACC
Niagara Niag
0-1,0-0 MAAC
63
Final
70
Notre Dame ND
1-0,0-0 ACC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Niagara Niag 30 33 63
Notre Dame ND 29 41 70

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Notre Dame Outlasts Niagara

SOUTH BEND, IND. – Despite holding as much as a 12-point lead over Notre Dame, Niagara fell to the Fighting Irish by a final score of 70-63 on the opening night of the college basketball season inside Purcell Pavilion. 
 
Three Purple Eagles recorded double-figures, led by 14 points from graduate student Luke Bumbalough and freshman Ahmad Henderson II. Transfer Yaw Obeng-Mensah added 13 points and a team-best eight rebounds and four assists. As a team, Niagara shot 42.4 percent from the floor, including a 41.2 percent mark from 3-point land. 
 
Notre Dame's Markus Burton scored a game-high 29 points on 11-for-20 shooting. The Irish shot 50.9 percent from the field and 81.3 percent from the line and out-rebounded NU, 35-29. 
 
How it Happened
The Purple and White would score the first five points of the game as Henderson made two at the line and drained a 3-pointer before Notre Dame finally scored with 18:07 on the clock. Niagara would score seven unanswered over the following 4:09 game action to take a 12-2 lead over the Fighting Irish. The run was highlighted by a three from Obeng-Mensah and baskets from Bumbalough and Braxton Bayless. 
 
The Purple Eagle lead would grow to 12, 18-6 by the 11:20 mark of the first half as Kwane Marble II, Henderson, and Obeng-Mensah each scored in the paint. 
 
A 9-0 run by the Irish made it an 18-15 game with 8:22 remaining in the first half, but a quick 5-2 run by the Purple Eagles got the Niagara lead back to six, 23-17. Over the final five minutes of the half, Notre Dame would trim the NU lead to less than three on three different occasions, with the Purple Eagles responding with a basket each time, until the final 10 seconds of the half when Notre Dame made a pair at the line to make it a 30-29 game at the break. 
 
The Fighting Irish would tie the game for the first time at 31-31 to start the second half, but Henderson would respond with a 3-pointer to put NU back on top. 
 
Niagara would hold on to a slim lead until the 13:44 mark when Notre Dame took the lead, 41-40, with a 3-pointer. The Fighting Irish lead would grow to six, 48-42, with 9:48 remaining, but NU would use the next two minutes to work the game even, 51-51. Bumbalough scored four of his 14 during the stretch to get the Purple Eagles back into the contest. 
 
Niagara would lead again as Bumbalough gave the Purple and White a 56-54 advantage with a 3-pointer and 6:35 remaining. However, it would be Notre Dame's game over the final six-plus as the Fighting Irish outscored Niagara 16-9 to earn the 70-63 win on opening night in college basketball. 
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara moves to 0-4 all-time against Notre Dame. 
• Henderson scored 14 points, the most by a Niagara freshman in their debut since Antoine Mason scored 18 against Milwaukee in his collegiate debut in 2010. 
• Niagara made seven 3-pointers, the most in a non-conference game since it made ten on Nov. 26, 2022, at St. John's. 
• Obeng-Mensah led NU in rebounds (8) and assists (4), becoming the first Purple Eagle to lead the team in rebounds and assists since Noah Thomasson did so with seven boards and nine assists on Jan. 15 vs. Marist. 
• NU finished the game with 11 assists and seven turnovers. 
• The Purple Eagles outscored Notre Dame on second-chance opportunities and fast breaks. 
 
Up Next
Niagara will open the home portion of its schedule on Saturday, Nov. 11, when it hosts Bucknell. The opening tip between the Purple Eagles and Bison is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+. 
 
 
 
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