NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
NIAGARA UNIV. — James Towns poured in a season-high 23 points, including the game-winning basket, to propel the Purple Eagles to a 71-67 win over the New Hampshire Wildcats on Sunday afternoon.
Game Summary
Towns’ go-ahead layup with five seconds left was the ninth lead change in the contest. The Purple Eagles strung together a run early in the second half to create separation and had a 10-point lead with six minutes left, but needed Towns’ clutch points and a defensive stop in the final seconds to secure the win.
Trailing 40-36 with 14 minutes remaining in the game, Marvin Prochet sparked an 8-0 run. He scored a layup, followed by a 3-pointer, and Raheem Solomon connected on a 3-pointer for a 44-40 lead. Solomon, a freshman from Hartford, Conn., made two straight 3-pointers to increase Niagara’s lead to 58-48 with nine minutes left.
Niagara held a 60-50 lead after a Kierell Green slam with six minutes remaining, before the Wildcats started chipping away at the deficit. New Hampshire outscored Niagara 17-6 over the next five minutes, including a 7-0 run to go ahead 67-66 with 41 seconds remaining.
On Niagara’s next possession, Towns drove to the basket to make a layup and was fouled. He made the en suing free throw to give Niagara a 69-67 lead. UNH’s Marque Maultsby missed a contested jumper and Keleaf Tate snagged the rebound; Tate made both free throws to seal Niagara’s second straight win.
The Purple Eagles, who at one point trailed 20-11 in the first half for their largest deficit in the game, closed the half scoring five straight points for a 32-29 lead at the break.
Eagle’s Eye On…
- James Towns led all scorers with a season-high 23 points while tying a career-high in field goals made with nine. Towns also led the game in assists with six and grabbed six rebounds.
- Marvin Prochet was second on the team in scoring with 15 points, grabbed four rebounds, had one block and one assist in his first game since November 23 against Grambling State.
- Raheem Solomon made 4 out of 6 3-pointers to set career-highs in points (14) and in 3-pointers (4).
- Dominic Robb had eight points, six rebounds and two blocks to have multiple blocks in each game this season.
- Chris Barton grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds to lead the team.
Inside The Numbers
- The Purple Eagles are 2-0 in the month of December for the first time in nine years.
- Marvin Prochet’s consecutive double-double streak ends at four games.
- Niagara is 9-1 in games decided by less than four points since the 2017-18 season.
Up Next
- The Purple Eagles are back at the Gallagher Center to take on Cornell on Sunday, December 16 at 2 p.m.
- The game will air on the Niagara Sports Network via LCTV, AM 1400 WWWS and www.PurpleEagles.com/Watch.
- For ticket information, contact the Niagara Athletic Ticket Office at 716-286 TIXX, tickets@Niagara.edu or www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets.
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