POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – A 22-8 run over the final seven minutes of action led to a 61-52 win for Marist (8-17, 5-12) Sunday afternoon in MAAC men's basketball action from McCann Arena.
 
Niagara (14-12, 9-8) was led by sophomore Aaron Gray who finished with 19 points, followed by senior Noah Thomasson collecting 15 points and three assists. Graduate student Sam Iorio snagged a team-best eight boards. As a team, NU finished the game 28.8 percent from the floor.
 
Game Recap
First Half
• Niagara found itself in a 6-0 hole three minutes into the contest, before Aaron Gray connected on a 3-pointer to put the Purple Eagles on the board and spark an 8-0 run that gave the Purple and White a two-point lead with 12:20 on the clock.
• An early 3-pointer from Joe Kasperzyk gave the New Haven, Conn., native 1,00 points for his career.
• Four minutes later the game would be tied 13-13 with Marist outscoring NU 7-5 during that stretch.
• Over the final eight minutes of the half, the lead would be tied four times and Niagara and Marist would trade the lead three times, leading to a 26-24 halftime lead for the Purple Eagles.
• Niagara finished the first half 8-for-29 from the field, while holding Marist to 9-for-24.
 
Second Half
• Niagara would hold at least a one-point advantage in the first four minutes of the second stanza, before Marist connected on a 3-pointer to take a 30-29 lead over NU.
• A couple of minutes later the Purple Eagles would tie the game with a layup from Gray.
• That led to a 10-5 run for Niagara which put the Purple Eagles on top by six 44-39 with 7:10 remaining in the contest. The run was highlighted by five points from Noah Thomasson and an alley-oop dunk from Gray.
• With 4:02 to play, Marist would take 47-46 lead on the heels of an 8-2 run.
• Marist would outscore NU 14-6 for the remainder of the contest to complete the sweep of the Purple Eagles.
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara falls to 32-27 all-time against the Red Foxes.
• The Purple Eagles 28.8 percent mark from the field is a season low.
• Gray led Niagara in scoring for the sixth time this season. The Providence, R.I., native also reached double-digit points for the first time in five games.
• Keith Kiner III played for the first time since Feb. 3 vs. Canisius.
• Niagara scored 24 points in the paint, 10 off second chance opportunities, and 13 off turnovers.
 
Up Next
• Niagara returns to the Gallagher Center for Larry Costello Night against Fairfield Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the contest can be purchased via purpleeagles.com/tickets.
 
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