NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
NACOGDOCHES, T.X. — The Purple Eagles earned their first win of the season on Saturday, defeating Morgan State, 67-57, in their final game of the Preseason WNIT.
Game Summary
Final Score: Niagara 67, Morgan State 57
Leading Scorers: Jai Moore (21 points), Emerald Ekpiteta (12 points)
Records: Niagara (1-4), Morgan State (1-4)
Location: William R. Johnson Coliseum – Nacogdoches, Texas
Game Recap
- The Purple Eagles and the Bears kept things close early in the first quarter before NU began to pull away. Jai Moore added four points and Adila Gathers had three points, helping Niagara to a 16-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
- Niagara continued to roll in the second quarter. A bucket from Moore have the Purple Eagles a 10-point lead, 18-8. Maggie McIntyre hit two treys within the first five minutes of the quarter, extending Niagara’s lead, 26-14. The Purple Eagles, who forced 10 turnovers in the first half, led the Bears, 32-19, going into halftime.
- Moore sank a 3-pointer with a little under seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, giving Niagara a 38-21 lead over the Bears. Emerald Ekpiteta added four straight points for NU, extending the Purple Eagles’ lead, 42-21. Morgan State, however, began to pick up momentum late in the third quarter, going on a 9-0 run to close out the quarter. The Purple Eagles maintained the lead, 45-38, going into the fourth quarter.
- Moore added nine more points for the Purple Eagles in the fourth quarter, helping to secure Niagara’s first win of the season, 67-57, over the Morgan State Bears.
Inside the Numbers
- Moore led the Purple Eagles in scoring with a career-high 21 points. She also added eight rebounds and a team-high three steals and four assists.
- Ekpiteta recorded the first double-double of her career with a career-high 12 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
- McIntyre added 10 points for the Purple Eagles and Kharysma Bryant had nine.
Coach’s Corner
- “I’m extremely proud of how hard our team worked to earn our first win of the year,” said head coach Jada Pierce. “We’ve been close and last night against Yale was tough, but we really showed great perseverance with such a short turn-around. I’m proud of how we held off a very solid Morgan State team. The characteristics shown in this game will help us continue to grow and get better throughout this season.”
Up Next
- The Purple Eagles head to Philadelphia to take on Saint Joseph’s on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 7:00 p.m. The game will air live on ESPN+.
