BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Niagara men's basketball program scored 49 points in the second half to erase a 10-point deficit and earn a 69-63 win over Big Four Rival Buffalo Friday night at Alumni Arena. The win moves Niagara to 4-8 overall on the season, while Buffalo drops to 1-11.
Three Purple Eagles recorded double-digit points, led by
Yaw Obeng-Mensah's team-high 20 points.
Luke Bumbalough added 13 points and a team-high six assists, while
Braxton Bayless recorded 10 off the bench for the Purple and White. As a team, NU shot 42.9 percent for the game, including a 53.3 percent mark in the second half. At the line, Niagara went 17-for-19. Obeng-Mensah also led Niagara on the glass, snagging nine rebounds, as the Purple Eagles outrebounded the Bulls, 35-30.
Buffalo was led by a Sy Chatman's 29 point and 13 rebound double-double. As a team, UB shot 45.3 percent from the floor, including 30.0 percent from three. The Bulls wen 9-for-17 at the line.
How it Happened
After only scoring 20 points in the first half, Niagara came out with great energy in the second half, scoring the first nine points of the frame, six of which came inside from Obeng-Mensah, forcing Buffalo to call a timeout after seeing its 10-point lead trimmed to just one, 30-29.
Bumbalough, who scored 12 of his 13 points in the second half, would give Niagara its first lead since the 18:32 mark of the first, 34-33, with a 3-ponter at the 16:04 mark of the second.
The Niagara lead would grow to seven, 47-40, when
Harlan Obioha, who finished with eight points and seven rebounds, scored inside with 9:34 to go in the contest. However, the Bulls would respond with an 8-0 run over the next two minutes, forcing the Purple and White to call timeout now down by one, 48-47.
The Purple Eagle deficit wouldn't last long as Bumbalough drew a foul out of the timeout and made both at the line to put Niagara back up by one.
After Niagara took a 3-point lead, 51-48, the Bulls would tie the game for the final time before NU went up by as much as five, 56-51, on another Bumbalough three and had a four-point lead, 60-56 as the game reached its final media timeout.
Niagara would close the game out on an 9-7 run, making 3-of-4 from the line to spoil the Bulls final home game of the calendar year with a 69-63 win.
Niagara Notes
• Niagara improves to 57-34 all-time against Buffalo, with Friday's win being the first in the series for the Purple Eagles since Nov. 13, 2013.
• The win was Niagara's first at Alumni Arena since Nov. 25, 2008.
• Niagara's 11 offensive boards led to 14 second chance points.
• The Purple Eagles outscored Buffalo in the paint (38-30), off the bench (25-7), off turnovers (15-9), and on fast breaks (8-7).
• Obeng-Mensah recorded his second 20-point game of the season and Niagara now has had a different player record 20 or more points in five-straight games.
• The 20-point game for Obeng-Mensah matches the Toronto, Ontario, natives' career-high and season-high.
• Bumbalough has scored double-digit points in each of the last four games, accounting for 69 points in that span.
• Bayless finished the game with a season-best three steals.
Up Next
Niagara returns to MAAC action on Friday, Jan. 5 with a trip to the Big Apple to take on Manhattan at 7 p.m. inside Draddy Gymnasium. The game will air live on ESPN+, while fans will be able to tune in to AM 1400 to listen to Todd Callen call the action.
