ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – The Niagara men's basketball program saw its season come to a close on Thursday night in Atlantic City, falling to Marist 65-59 in the quarterfinal round of the MAAC Men's Basketball Championship at Jim Whalen Boardwalk Hall.
 
Graduate students Kwane Marble Jr., and Yaw Obeng-Mensah recorded 15 and 13 points, respectively, with Obeng-Mensah grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. Braxton Bayless contributed a team-best four assists to go with eight points. As a team, Niagara shot 45.8 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from 3-point land, and 66.7 percent at the line.
 
Marist's Jadin Coillins scored a game-high 20 points, four assists, and five steals. Javon Cooley added 14 points and Jackson Price finished with 12. Marist shot 52.3 percent from the field, including 40.0 percent from deep, and 78.9 percent at the line. The Red Foxes out-rebounded Niagara, 28-23.
 
How it Happened
Niagara would be in control in the first half, going on an early 9-0 run to take an 11-2 lead over the Red Foxes, who called timeout with 15:51 on the clock.
 
Out of the timeout, Marist would score four unanswered to pull within five, but Niagara would remain in control, going on an 8-0 spurt to take a 12-point lead, 18-6, with 13:26 to play in the opening stanza.
 
Niagara would go up by a first-half high of 14 points on two separate occasions, including a 32-18 lead with 2:43 left as Dre Bullock hit a step-back three. Niagara took a 36-24 lead into the break.
 
Out of the break, Niagara would take its largest lead of the game, 39-24, as Marble finished the and-1 play at the line.
 
Marist would trim the Purple Eagle lead down to four, 41-37, with 16:37 on the clock, but Niagara would respond with a 3-pointer from Marble and a layup inside from Obeng-Mensah to go back up by nine.
 
The Red Foxes would tie the game at 47-47 with 10:49 remaining in the contest, and go on to take a 51-49 lead, its first since leading 2-0 in the early portion of the game.
 
Niagara tied the game at 53-53, but Marist quickly retook the lead and stay ahead the rest of the way en route to the 65-59 win over the Purple Eagles.
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara moves to 33-27 all-time against Marist.
• The Purple Eagles finished the season 16-16 overall, their second-straight season with at or above .500.
• Marble led Niagara in scoring for the first time this season.
• The Purple Eagles reached the MAAC quarterfinal round for the fourth time in head coach Greg Paulus' five-year tenure.
• Bayless recorded a team-high four assists, the 10th time this season.
• Obeng-Mensah led NU in rebounding for the eighth time this season.
 
For more information on the MAAC Men's Basketball Championship, including tickets, hotels, and much more, visit MAACSports.com
 
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