EMMITSBURG, Md. — Despite an 11-point halftime lead and three players in double figures Niagara fell to Mount St. Mary's 68-62 on Sunday afternoon at Knott Arena.
 
How it Happened
The Purple Eagles (6-8, 1-2 MAAC) used an 11-2 run to close out the first half with a 37-26 advantage before Mount St. Mary's rallied in the second half, outscoring Niagara 42-25 over the final 20 minutes.
 
Jahari Williamson led Niagara with 15 points, including five 3-pointers. Justice Smith added 13 points and Zion Russell contributed 14 for the Purple Eagles, who shot just 35.5 percent from the field in the second half after connecting on 42.4 percent of their attempts before intermission.
 
Mount St. Mary's (9-5, 2-1) took control with a 10-0 run early in the second half and sealed the victory by hitting 63.6 percent of their shots after halftime. Carmelo Pacheco led the Mountaineers with 14 points.
 
Niagara struggled to maintain its offensive rhythm in the second half, making just 3-of-14 attempts from 3-point range after hitting 5-of-13 in the first half. The Purple Eagles also committed 19 turnovers that led to 20 points for Mount St. Mary's.
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara moves to 4-3 all-time against Mount St. Mary's.
• The Purple and White committed a season-high 19 turnovers.
• Williamson's five 3-pointers is a season-high for the sophomore and matches his career-best performance set at Elon on Dec. 29, 2023 as a member of the Valpo men's basketball program.
• Four Purple Eagles finished the game with two or more steals, including a team-best three from Jaeden Marshall.
• Smith finished with 13 points, his fourth double-digit scoring performance in the last six games.
• Will Shortt led Niagara with a career-best nine rebounds.
 
Up Next
Niagara returns to the Gallagher Center on Friday, Jan. 10 to take on Saint Peter's at 6:30 p.m.