ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Niagara (16-15, 11-9 MAAC) outscored Siena 15-8 over the final 5:19 to earn a trip to the MAAC Quarterfinals with a 67-65 win over Siena (4-28, 3-17 MAAC) in the first round of the MAAC Men's Basketball Championship.
 
Four Purple Eagles recorded double figures with Dre Bullock leading the way with 17 points, including a 4-for-6 mark from the perimeter. Harlan Obioha finished with 15 points and a team-best eight rebounds, followed by 14 and 12 points off the bench from Braxton Bayless and Yaw Obeng-Mensah, respectively. Luke Bumbalough recorded a team-high nine assists. As a team, Niagara shot 52.0 percent from the floor, 30.4 percent from three, and 61.5 percent at the line. Niagara won the battle on the glass, 27-26.
 
Siena had five players reach double-digit points led by 15 points by Michael Eley, 11 from Zek Tekin, and 10 points apiece Mason Courtney, Brenden Coyle, and Giovanni Emejuru. The Saints finished the game shooting 46.3 percent from the floor and 100.0 percent at the line.
 
How it Happened
Siena would take a 6-1 lead to start the game and eventually take a 20-13 lead over the Purple Eagles at the 10:03 mark of the first half.
 
Niagara would even the score at 20-20 following a 7-0 run by the Purple and White, with two baskets inside from Obioha and a 3-pointer from Bullock that tied it.
 
Siena would then go up by as much as four over the next six minutes of game action before a Obeng-Mensah layup with 2:10 remaining tied the game at 29. Niagara would take a 31-29 lead over Siena with just over a minute left before Siena's Coyle connected on a 3-pointer to take a 32-31 lead into the break.
 
The second half saw four lead changes and neither team would go ahead by more than five before Siena made it a 57-52 game with 5:19 to play in the contest.
 
Niagara would then hold Siena scoreless over the next 3:45, tying the game at 57-57 and eventually taking a 59-57 lead with 3:02 to play. Niagara wouldn't let the Saints within less than two, getting timely baskets from Obioha, Kwane Marble Jr., and a pair of free throws from Bayless to make it a 67-63 game with 18 seconds remaining.
 
Siena would make it a two-point game, 67-65, and then send Marble to the line for the 1-and-1. Marble missed the front end with seven seconds on the clock allowing Siena to take the contested last-second game-winner that clanked off the iron.
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara will play in the MAAC quarterfinal for the fourth-straight season.
• The Purple and White improve to 54-59 all-time against Siena.
• Bumbalough's nine assists was a career-high for the grad student. The New Castle, Ind., product is the first Purple Eagle to record nine assists in a game since Noah Thomasson (Jan. 15, 2023).
• With 17 points tonight, Bullock has recorded 11 double-digit games this season, including seven in the last eight games.
• Niagara improves to 7-2 outside of the state of New York.
• Niagara recorded its 12th game this season with four or more players in double figures.
• The Purple and White made more than half its shots from the field for the 10th time this season.
• Niagara's 18 assists is the second-most in a game this season.
 
Up Next
Niagara will take on No. 3 Marist at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 14. The game will air on ESPN+.
 
Todd Callen will describe the action on 1400 AM.
 
For more information on the MAAC Men's Basketball Championship, including tickets, hotels, and much more, visit MAACSports.com
 
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