NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – With less than a second remaining on the clock, Niagara (6-8, 2-2 MAAC) senior
Braxton Bayless hit the game-winning 3-pointer to lift Niagara over Iona, 75-73, Sunday afternoon in MAAC men's basketball action inside the Hynes Center.
Bayless finished with a career-high 22 points, going 5-for-9 from the field and 10-for-10 at the line.
Ahmad Henderson II added 14 points, followed by
Yaw Obeng-Mensah with 11 and
Kwane Marble Jr. with 10. As a team, Niagara shot 49.0 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from 3-point land, while making 19-of-24 at the line. The Purple Eagles won the battle on the glass, 41-24, with
Harlan Obioha grabbing a team-high nine boards.
Iona's Greg Gordon and Idan Tretout tallied 46 of the Gaels 73 points with 24 and 22, respectively. The Gaels finished the game 31-for-62 from the floor, including 5-for-19 from the perimeter. Iona went 6-for-14 at the line for the game.
How it Happened
Iona would lead the contest 53-43 at the 14:57 mark of the second half, before Niagara would explode for a 20-2 run highlighted by eight points from Marble Jr and seven from Bayless as the Purple Eagles shot 70.0 percent over the six-and-a-half-minute stretch to take a 63-55 lead over the Gaels.
However, with 7:05 on the clock, the Gaels would begin a 12-3 run over the next five-minutes to retake the lead, 67-66.
With just over two-minutes remaining, Henderson gave the lead back to Niagara, 69-67, with his third three of the afternoon, but the Gaels would answer, tying the contest at 69, as Osborn Shema made his first basket of the contest moments later.
On the ensuing Niagara possession, Obioha would find
Luke Bumbalough on the wing for the grad transfer's first 3-pointer of the game, after missing on his previous four attempts from beyond the arc, putting Niagara up 72-69 with 34-seconds left.
The next 28-seconds of action would give Iona the lead as the Gaels got within one with a layup at the 17-second mark and then forced a NU turnover to take the lead with six seconds to go, 73-72.
With the game on the line, Niagara would inbound the ball to Bumbalough, who then found Bayless for the game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second remaining. Iona would turn the ball over on the inbounds play, securing Niagara's first win at the Hynes Center since Jan. 12, 2020.
Niagara Notes
• Sunday's meeting with the 94th all-time between Niagara an Iona. The Purple Eagles are now 41-53 all-time against the Gaels.
• The win is Niagara's first win in New Rochelle, N.Y., since the 2019-20 season and 13th all-time.
• The weekend sweep of Manhattan and Iona is the programs first since 2009.
• Niagara has had at least three Purple Eagles score double-figures in each of its six wins this season.
• Bayless recorded his second-consecutive 20-point game with his career-high 22 Sunday afternoon. It was the third time this season the Iowa native led Niagara in scoring.
• Bayless became the second Purple Eagle this season to go 100.0 percent at the line with at least 10 attempts.
• Henderson reached double-figures for the team-best 11th time this season, while
Yaw Obeng-Mensah recorded his 10th game with double-digits.
• Bumbalough led Niagara with three assists, the sixth time this season the veteran has led Niagara in assists.
• Obioha led the Purple Eagles in rebounding for the eighth time this season and 11th time in his career.
• Niagara finished the game with a season-high 41 rebounds.
• The bench recorded 39 of the teams 75 points.
Up Next
Niagara returns to the legendary "Taps" Gallagher Center on Friday, Jan. 12 when they welcome in the Stags of Fairfield University. The Purple Eagles and Stags will tip-off at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. Fans can also tune in to WGR 550 where Pat Malacaro will describe the action as it happens.
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