NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – Niagara (10-9, 6-3 MAAC) used a late 14-4 run to defeat the visiting Marist Red Foxes (9-8, 4-4 MAAC) 67-62 Friday night on national television in front of nearly 1,700 fans inside the Gallagher Center.
 
Purple Eagle big man Harlan Obioha led the way for Niagara with 16 points, finishing 7-for-8 from the floor, and adding a team-high seven rebounds. Braxton Bayless recorded 12 points and three assists off the bench after missing the last two games and reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week, Ahmad Henderson II tallied 10 points in the win. Niagara finished the game shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 66.7 percent at the line.
 
Marist was led by Jaden Daughtry who finished with a game-high 17 points, followed by Max Allen II who tallied 13 points. As a team, Marist shot 47.2 percent from the field, including a 33.3 percent clip from three, while going 6-for-8 at the line. Marist won the rebound battle, 29-22. 
 
How it Happened
The back-and-forth contest began with four lead changes in the first five-plus minutes of the contest that eventually led to a 13-9 advantage for the Red Foxes.
 
Niagara would use the next seven minutes and change to take a 29-21 lead, its largest of the first half, as Bayless and Randy Tucker combined for 12 points during a 20-8 stretch for the Purple Eagles.
 
The Red Foxes would outscore Niagara 17-12 over the final five minutes of the half, but it would be the Purple and White with the halftime lead of 41-38.
 
A slow start to the second half for both teams led to a 48-48 tie with 11:32 to play. From there, Marist, led by Daughtry, would take a 61-56 lead with 8:35 to go, which would lead to the under-eight media timeout moments later.
 
Niagara would slowly chip away at the Marist lead, leading to a one-point game with 5:34 to go as Obioha through one down after getting the feed from Luke Bumbalough to make it 58-57 in favor of Marist.
 
The dunk was the beginning of a 14-4 run by the Purple Eagles to close out the game. Bayless hit the go-ahead shot, a floater in the paint to give Niagara a 63-62 lead, before the Purple Eagles scored the final six points of the contest to earn the 67-62 win over Marist.
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara moves to 33-27 all-time against Marist, earning its first win over the Red Foxes since March 5, 2022.
• Niagara is 6-3 through its first nine league games for the first time under head coach Greg Paulus and first time since the 2017-18 season.
• Niagara's win on ESPNU is the programs first on national television in the last decade.
• The Purple and White are now 7-2 when leading at the break, and 4-1 on Friday nights.
• Niagara has won seven of its last eight games.
• Obioha led the team in scoring for the fifth time this season while grabbing the most rebounds for the 12th time.
• Bayless notched his 11th game of the season with double-digit points, while Henderson secured his 16th.
 
Up Next
Niagara will take on Manhattan for Coaches vs. Cancer on Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. inside the Gallagher Center.
 
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