NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Niagara (7-8, 3-2 MAAC) used a season-high 52 point first-half to earn its fourth-straight win with a 96-72 victory over visiting Fairfield (9-7, 3-2 MAAC) Friday night in MAAC men's basketball action inside the Gallagher Center.
 
The Purple and White had five players reach double-digit points, including a game-high 20 points from Ahmad Henderson II on 7-for-11 shooting. Yaw Obeng-Mensah tallied 16 points and a team-best seven rebounds, while Luke Bumbalough notched 14 points and a team-best seven assists. Braxton Bayless and Kwane Marble Jr. had 13 and 12 points off the bench, respectively. As a team, Niagara shot 61.8 percent from the field, including 66.7 percent from the perimeter, and 78.3 percent at the line. Niagara won the rebounding battle, 33-23.
 
Fairfield finished the game shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three, and 80.0 percent from the line. Caleb Fields led the team with 19 points, followed by Louis Bleechmoore with 17. Jasper Floyd led the team with seven rebounds.
 
How it Happened
The Purple and White started the game a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and shot 73.1 percent from the field in the half as they took a commanding 27-8 lead over Fairfield when Bayless found Dre Bullock for the alley-oop dunk with 11:13 on the clock. Henderson scored nine of his 20 points in the first nine minutes of action, followed by Bayless who has six of his 13 points in the same span.
 
 
Five minutes later with the score 38-23 in favor of the Purple and White, Niagara would make a defensive stop and Bumbalough would find Obeng-Mensah in transition for the one-handed slam, giving NU a 40-23 lead with 5:41 to play in the first half.
 
 
Henderson would score six of NU's final 12 points of the half to give the Purple and White a 52-36 lead going into the break.
 
Harlan Obioha, who finished with six points and six rebounds, opened the second half with a layup in the paint, leading to a 12-5 run that featured three-straight three's and gave NU its first 20-plus point lead of the night, 65-43.
 
Over the next 6:44 of game play the Stags would trim the NU lead to 14-points, 78-64, a 21-13 run for the visiting team. However, Obioha made two at the line to spark a 9-2 run that was capped off by another alley-oop dunk from Bullock, putting NU back on top by 21, 87-66.
 
 
Niagara would get four of its final nine points from Bullock to secure the 96-72 victory.
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara moves to 48-37 all-time against Fairfield, including winning each of the last three meetings.
• The Purple and White shot over 60.0 percent for the third time this season.
• Friday marked the first 90-point performance by Niagara in a MAAC game that ended in regulation since its 95-90 win over Iona on Jan. 11, 2019.
• Five Purple Eagles notched double-figures for the first time this season. However, it was the eighth time at least four Purple Eagles recorded double-digit points in the same game.
• Niagara extended its 20-point scorer streak to eight games with Henderson notching 20 points, his third 20-point game this season.
• The Purple and White matched their season-high set at Bingahmton on Dec. 19 with 10 three's.
• Bumbalough matched his career-high with seven assists. He also had seven assists against Quinnipiac on Dec. 3.
• Nagara improves to 4-1 this season while leading at the half, 5-0 when shooting over 50.0 percent from the floor, and 7-3 when shooting over 75.0 percent from the line.
• Of Niagara's 96 points, 46 came inside the paint, while 37 came from the bench.
• Niagara's six turnovers is a season-low for the Purple Eagles.
• The Purple and White recorded 15 assists on their 33 made field goals.
 
Up Next
Niagara will play Siena on Sunday, Jan. 14 for Lewiston Residents Day. The opening tip between the Purple Eagles and Saints is set for 12 p.m. on ESPN+.
 
Todd Callen and Frank Gallo will have the call on ESPN+, while Pat Malacaro will describe the action on 1400 AM.