NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – Niagara (1-4, 0-1 MAAC) sparked a late second-half comeback effort Friday night, but Saint Peter's (2-4, 1-0 MAAC) was able to hold on for a 72-67 win over the Purple and White to open MAAC men's basketball action. 
 
Yaw Obeng-Mensah led all scorers with 20 points, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the line and grabbing seven rebounds. Braxton Bayless recorded 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting off the bench and Ahmad Henderson II tallied 14 points, four rebounds and two steals. Niagara shot 43.8 percent from the field, including 30.0 percent from 3-point range. At the line, Niagara made 22-of-28 attempts. The Purple Eagles won the rebound battle, 27-19, with Harlan Obioha leading the way with eight caroms.
 
Saint Peter's finished the game shooting 56.8 percent from the floor, including 38.1 percent from deep. Michael Houge led the Peacocks with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting, followed by Latrell Reid with 15 points. Houge was one rebound shy of a double-double.
 
How it Happened
The Peacocks would take an early 8-4 lead over Niagara as it started the game 3-for-4 from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.
 
Over the next five-plus minutes of action, Niagara would outscore Saint Peter's 12-6 to take their first lead of the contest on a layup from Henderson. During the stretch, five different Purple Eagles recorded a basket and as a team, Niagara went 6-for-6 at the charity stripe.
 
Niagara's lead would grow to 18-14 with free throws from Obeng-Mensah, before the Peacocks went on a 5-0 run to retake the lead, 19-18, with 8:26 remaining in the half.
 
The Peacocks would go on to outscore Niagara 16-11 over the final six minutes of the half to take a 40-35 lead into the intermission.
 
Niagara would make it a four-point game 3:02 into the start of the second half as Bayless and Bumbalough scored for the Purple Eagles, however, Saint Peter's would respond with a 9-0 run of its own over the next 3:14 to take a 53-40 lead with 13:15 remaining. Kwane Marble Jr. was finally able to put a stop to the Peacocks run with a 3-pointer.
 
Three and a half minutes later, the Peacocks would have their largest lead of the contest, 59-43. However, the Purple and White would start to march back into the contest as they went on a 15-4 run over the next 5:09 of game action, generating five steals and going 4-for-6 from the field and 7-for-7 at the line to pull with three, 61-58, with 5:40 left to play.
 
Niagara would keep the SPU lead under ten for the final five minutes, getting as close as three once more, 70-67, after Obeng-Mensah made his ninth and tenth shots at the line on the night, with 40 seconds remaining.
 
Henderson would attempt a game-tying 3-pointer with 12 seconds to go, but his heave fell short of the front iron, resulting in a Saint Peter rebound and Niagara foul. The Peacocks would make both of the chances at the line to secure the five-point win, 72-67.
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara moves to 53-42 all-time against Saint Peter's, including 2-7 under head coach Greg Paulus.
• The Purple and White recorded season-highs in free throws made (22), free throws attempted (28), and steals (nine).
• Niagara outrebounded its opponent by a season-best eight boards. It was also just the second time this season NU outrebounded its opponent.
• Obeng-Mensah made 10 free throws, a career-high for the transfer, and the first time a Purple Eagle made 10 or more free throws since Kobi Nwandu made 10 versus Monmouth on Jan. 30, 2021.
• Obioha led Niagara on the glass for the fourth time this season.
• Obeng-Mensah and Henderson have reached double-digit points in four of five games this season and Bayless reached double-figures for the third consecutive game.
 
Up Next
Niagara remains home as it hosts Quinnipiac for a 2 p.m. contest on Sunday, Dec. 3 on ESPN+.
 
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