NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. — Despite a spirited second-quarter comeback that gave them a halftime lead, the Niagara Purple Eagles couldn't sustain their momentum in a 79-54 loss to Manhattan on Saturday at the Gallagher Center.
 
How it Happened
The Purple Eagles (1-14, 0-7 MAAC) erased an 11-point first-quarter deficit and surged ahead 30-26 late in the second quarter behind Safiatu Kolliegbo, who scored 11 of her 15 points in the opening half. Niagara outscored Manhattan 18-9 in the second period to take a 30-28 advantage into halftime.
 
But Manhattan (10-6, 4-3) seized control after the break behind Leyla Öztürk, who scored 15 of her game-high 22 points in the final 20-minutes. The Jaspers shot a blistering 71.4 percent (20-of-28) after halftime while holding Niagara to just 24.2 percent (8-of-33) over the final two quarters.
 
Marlie Dickerson added 16 points for Niagara, which has now lost nine straight games. The Purple Eagles struggled from deep, hitting just 4-of-21 three-point attempts.
 
Manhattan dominated inside, outscoring Niagara 50-26 in the paint while holding a 49-26 rebounding advantage. Petra Juric added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Jaspers.
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara moves to 38-34 all-time against Manhattan.
• Kolliegbo has recoded double figure points in eight of the last nine games and a total of 10 times on the season.
• Dickerson tallied her second-consecutive game with 16 points and has registered 10 or more in each of last three games.
• Niagara forced 24 Jasper turnovers – its 10th game this season with at least 24 forced turnovers.
• The Purple Eagles have recorded at least 13 steals in four of the last five games.
 
Up Next
The Purple and White will travel to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to take on Marist on Thursday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m.