NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University men's basketball team fell to Manhattan in overtime by the final score of 84-78. The Purple Eagles are now 10-10 on the season and 6-4 in MAAC play, while the Jaspers move to 5-13 and 2-7 in league action.
Four Purple Eagles finished in double-digit points, led by
Braxton Bayless' 21 off the bench.
Yaw Obeng-Mensah tallied 16 points, followed by
Luke Bumbalough with 14 and
Kwane Marble Jr. with 10, respectively.
Harlan Obioha grabbed a team-high nine rebounds while scoring nine points. As a team, Niagara shot 44.8 percent from field, and 76.7 percent from the line.
Manhattan was led by a game-high 26 points and 13 rebounds from Daniel Rouzan, while Jaden Winston and Shaquil Bender added 16 points apiece, followed 11 points from Seydow Traore. The Jaspers finished the game shooting 45.1 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from 3-point land and 75.0 percent from charity stripe. Manhattan won the battle on the glass, 42-36.
How it Happened
With 4:03 remaining in the first half Manhattan took its largest lead of the frame, 26-14, but Niagara responded with a 15-4 run to close out the half and go into the locker room down by one, 30-29.
Following the under-12 media timeout the Jaspers took a eight point lead over the Purple Eagles on a Rouzan jumper, but over the next 3:37, Niagara would make it a three-point contest with a layup from Obioha. Bumbalough scored six of Purple and White's 11 during the run to get Niagara within a basket.
A 9-0 run from the 5:25 to 2:55 mark that saw Niagara go 4-for-5 from the field and take a 69-63 lead over Manhattan.
With 18-seconds to go Bender would tie the game at 71-71 and force Niagara to use its final timeout.
The Purple Eagles would draw up the go-ahead basket, a layup inside by Obioha, but the Jaspers quickly inbounded the ball and scored a layup to tie the game at 73 to force overtime.
Manhattan would outscore Niagara 11-5 in the extra frame to earn the 84-78 win over the Purple Eagles.
Niagara Notes
• Niagara moves to 37-60 all-time against Manhattan.
• Bayless notched his third game with 20 or more points and first since scoring 22 points at Iona Jan. 7.
• Marble recorded his eight double-digit scoring effort of the season.
• Obeng-Mensah scored double figures for the first time since his 16-point effort against Fairfield earlier this month.
• Niagara finished the game with a season-high 23 made free throws.
• The Purple Eagles recorded 15 turnovers, just its fourth game this season with 15 or more turnovers.
Up Next
Niagara will travel to Saint Peter's on Friday, Feb. 2 for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Peacocks.
