NIAGARA UNIVERSITY — The Niagara Purple Eagles put on a shooting clinic on the court as they pulled away in the second half for a 93-74 win over the Drexel Dragons for their first victory of the season.
The Purple Eagles got off to a fast start buoyed by Kahlil Dukes and James Towns. Dukes started off 5-for-5 from the field giving Niagara a 14-8 lead seven minutes into the first half. James Towns went 4-for-5 from behind the arc for a half-high 12 points. The Purple Eagles, who led for almost the entire half, went into halftime leading 38-37. Niagara opened the second half on a 6-0 run with Marvin Prochet providing five straight points. A layup by Ali Tew with 15:11 on the clock put NU up 54-43 as the Purple Eagles maintained a double-digit lead for the rest of the game. Niagara was led by Prochet and Matt Scott in the second half as the duo combined for 28 points.
Niagara’s lead ballooned to as much as 20 points.
Three Purple Eagles netted career-highs in points (Marvin Prochet, Kahlil Dukes and James Towns). Prochet scored a career-high 21 points with 18 coming in the second half. He also had a season-high three blocks. Dukes finished with 19 points and a career-high four assists. Towns scored 17 points, including a career-best five 3-pointers which ties for a Purple Eagle season-high. Dominic Robb had his second straight four-block game while also grabbing eight rebounds.
The Purple Eagles shot 62.3 percent (33-for-53) from the field, 83.3 percent (10-for-12) from the 3-point line and 81 percent (17-for-21) from the free-throw line. Niagara, which shot 59 percent in the first half, had an even better shooting performance in the second half, going 17-for-26 (65.4 percent) from the field. The Purple Eagles outscored the Dragons, 55-37, in the second half. The Purple Eagles’ 93 points in regulation are the most in three seasons. Niagara’s 19 assists are the most in a regular season game since dishing out 21 assists in a 73-61 win over Manhattan on Jan. 2, 2015. Niagara’s bench outscored Drexel’s bench, 27-11. The Purple Eagles led for 37:42 and never trailed.
The Purple Eagles start another road trip when they head to Denton, Texas to take on the North Texas Mean Green in their last game in the Scarlet Knight Classic on Friday, Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. eastern. Listen live on AM 1400 WWWS and online via PurpleEagles.com
from PurpleEagles.com via IFTTT
