Emmitsburg, Md. — A dominant second-half run by Mount St. Mary's proved too much to overcome as the Purple Eagles fell 76-63 at Knott Arena in Emmitsburg, M.d.
 
The Purple Eagles dropped to 7-20 overall and 4-13 in MAAC play, while the Mountaineers improved to 13-15 and 9-8 in conference.
 
The Purple and White were competitive for much of the first half, using a sharp 8-0 run in the final seven minutes of the opening period to claw into the lead. Brian Griffith ignited the surge with a steal and a pair of free throws to tie the game at 22-21, then Josiah Sabino converted a layup to push Niagara ahead 24-21. The Purple Eagles would build the lead to 26-23 before Mount St. Mary's responded. Niagara ultimately carried a 31-31 tie into halftime.
 
However, the Mountaineers opened the second half on a 9-0 run to go up 40-31, forcing a Niagara timeout. The Purple Eagles continued to battle. Griffith knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to eight at 36-44. After Mount St. Mary's extended the lead to 49-38, Niagara answered with a 5-0 run, capped by a Griffith fastbreak layup off a Justin Hawkins steal and assist to trim it to 49-40.
 
Despite the deficit continuing to grow with a 12-2 run by the Mountaineers, Niagara's bench contributed mightily throughout the night, accounting for 49 of the team's 63 points. Sabino led all scorers for the Purple Eagles with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Griffith added 13 points on 3-of-9 shooting with a pair of steals. Trenton Walters chipped in 10 points, and center Kabeya Tshibangu was efficient off the bench, finishing with six points on 3-of-3 shooting.

A 10-3 run starting with nine minutes remaining led by six points from Walters trimmed the deficit down to 11 with 7:19 remaining. Mount St. Mary's regained control of the game in the next five minutes closing out on a 9-3 run. The Purple Eagles tried mounting a late comeback with 2:26 remaining but could not get close enough, ultimately falling 76-63.

Niagara Notes
• Niagara goes to 4-6 all-time against Mount St. Mary's following Friday's loss
• The Purple Eagles recorded a season high in free throws made with 22
• Griffith tied a career best in steals with three
• Niagara recorded 49 bench points which is the most on the season
 
Up Next
Niagara closes out their final road game of the season as they travel to Lawrenceville, NJ as they take on Rider on Sunday February 22 for a 2 p.m. tipoff