SYRACUSE, N.Y.– Syracuse (9-3, 0-1 ACC) defeated Niagara (3-8, 0-2 MAAC) by the final score of 83-71 Thursday night in non-conference action inside the JMA Wireless Dome.
 
Luke Bumbalough scored a career-high 26 points, making six threes on 8-for-16 shooting. Yaw Obeng-Mensah recorded his first double-double as a Purple Eagle with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Braxton Bayless added 13 points and a team-best three assists off the bench. As a team, Niagara shot 41.0 percent from the floor, including 36.8 percent from three. The Purple and White finished 14-for-15 at the line, and grabbed 36 rebounds.
 
Syracuse saw four Orangemen score double-digit points led by 18 points from Judah Mintz. Maliq Brown notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Orange finished the game shooting 48.5 percent from the field, including 36.4 percent from the perimeter.  
 
How it Happened
Bumbalough scored the first eight points of the game for Niagara, including back-to-back 3-pointers that put Niagara down 9-8 with 14:41 on the clock and one possession later, the Purple and White would take its first lead, 10-9, of the game when Yaw Obeng-Mensah and Dre Bullock teamed up for the layup inside.
 
Niagara would take the once again on his third 3-pointer of the game, putting the Purple Eagles on top, 13-12. Syracuse would then go on a quick 5-0 run to take a 17-12 lead, but Niagara responded with a 4-0 spurt, including two at the line from Kwane Marble Jr to tie the game at 17-17.
 
Syracuse would control the next four minutes of play, taking a 32-20 lead over Niagara with a 15-3 run.
 
The Purple and White would outscore Syracuse 8-6 in the final five minutes of play to make it a 10-point game, 38-28, at the break. Bumbalough made his fourth and fifth 3-pointers of the first half to pace Niagara through the first 20-minutes with 17 points.
 
Niagara went on an early 5-0 run in the second half, with all five points coming from Obeng-Mensah, to make it a seven-point game, 40-33, with just over two minutes gone in the half.  However, the Orange would respond with a 7-0 run to go up by 14, 47-33.
 
That run was the beginning of a 17-7 outburst by Syracuse, giving the Orange a 57-40 lead. Braxton Bayless would make back-to-back baskets, including an old-fashioned 3-point play to make it 57-43 in favor of the Orange by the under-12 media timeout.  
 
Over the next four minutes Niagara would get as close as 13 points, 58-45, following a dunk from Bullock, but it would be the Orange with a 16-point lead at the under-8 media timeout, 63-47.
 
The Purple and White would once again pull within 13 points, 66-56, with 4:48 to go as Obeng Mensah completed the and-1 chance at the line.
 
Head coach Greg Paulus would call timeout after Bumbalough scored his 23rd point of the game, making it a 73-60 game with 3:43 on the clock.
 
With under two minutes to go, Bumbalough would connect on his first three ball of the half, putting Niagara down by eleven, 76-65 and Marble Jr would make it a single-digit Cuse lead, 76-67, a couple of possessions later with a layup inside.
 
The Orange would end the game on a 7-4 run to earn the 12-point win over the Purple and White.
 
Niagara Notes
• Thursday marked the 85th meeting all-time between Niagara and Syracuse, with the Orange holding a 56-29 advantage in the series.
• Bumbalough became the second Purple Eagle to make at least five 3-pointers in a game this season, joining Ahmad Henderson II, who made five at home against Bucknell.
• Bumbalough finished with a career-high 26 points, surpassing his previous high of 21 set as a member of the Ball State men's basketball program.
• Obeng-Mensah registered his fifth career double-double and first since Jan. 28 at Vermont (18pts, 16reb) as a member of the UMBC men's basketball program.
• Bayless' 13-point outing is his sixth double figure outing this season and first since NJIT last Saturday. The Ankeny, Ind., native led the Purple Eagles in assists for the fourth time this year.
• Niagara's 93.3 percent mark at the line is a season-high.
• The Purple Eagles committed a season-low seven fouls.
 
Up Next
Niagara returns to action on Dec. 29 with a short trip to Buffalo to take on the Bulls. The opening tip between NU and UB is set for 7 p.m.