NEWARK, NJ – Despite a game-high 20 points from sophomore Aaron Gray, Niagara (5-5, 1-1 MAAC) fell on the road to NJIT (2-9) 62-53 Sunday afternoon in non-conference action from the NJIT Wellness and Events Center in Newark, NJ.
Game Recap
First Half
• Aaron gray got off to a hot start for Niagara, scoring nine of the team’s 11 points to begin the game.
• With the score tied at 11, NJIT would outscore Niagara 7-2 to take a 19-13 lead over the Purple Eagles, but David Mitchell and Keith Kiner would score back-to-back baskets to put NU down by two, 19-17, with just under eight minutes to go in the first half.
• The Highlanders would again go on a 9-2 scoring burst, leading to a 26-19 lead for NJIT, before Noah Thomasson finished off a and-1 opportunity to put Niagara down by five, 27-22, putting an end to the run for NJIT.
• The Highlander lead would grow to 36-24 with 23-seconds remaining, forcing the Purple Eagles to call timeout.
• Niagara would miss a 3-pointer on its final possession of the half, going into the break down by 12.
Second Half
• After Gray connected on the team’s first 3-pointer of the contest to make it a 39-27 game in favor of the Highlanders, NJIT would rattle off four points in a minute and a half to force Niagara to use its second timeout of the contest.
• NJIT would make it six-straight points out of the timeout, leading to the largest lead of the contest, 45-27, for the Highlanders.
• Joe Kasperzyk would score the first four points of an 8-0 run for Niagara that was highlighted by a Gray slam dunk and made it a 10-point game, 45-35, before the media timeout.
• Braxton Bayless would keep things going for NU out of the break, making it a 10-0 spurt, before NJIT recorded a basket.
• The NJIT lead would be trimmed to eight, 50-42, following Niagara’s 15-5 outburst but an old-fashioned 3-point play by the Highlanders gave NJIT back its double-digit lead.
• With two and a half minutes remaining, Gray would sink two at the line to make it a 58-48 game in favor of NJIT.
• The Highlanders would make 4-of-6 at the line in the final minutes of the contest, leading to their 62-53 win over the Purple Eagles.
Niagara Notes
• Sunday marked the first meeting between NJIT and Niagara, with the highlanders taking a 1-0 series advantage.
• Aaron Gray finished with a season-high 20 points, becoming the second Purple Eagle this season to reach the 20-point mark. Sunday also marked the seventh time this season that the Providence, RI, product reached double-figures.
• Gray also led NU on the boards, finishing with eight, followed by Mitchell and Bayless with five apiece.
• Four Purple Eagles recorded three assists as Niagara finished with 14 helpers.
• The Purple Eagle bench finished with 24 points, led by Mitchell who registered seven in 30-minutes off the pine.
• Thomasson finished with seven points, ending his eight-game streak of double-digit points.
• As a team, Niagara shot 39.3 percent from the field, including 6.3 percent from beyond the arc and a 66.7 mark at the line.
• Niagara forced 15 NJIT turnovers, leading to 19 points for the Purple Eagles.
Up Next
• Niagara returns to the legendary Gallagher Center on Wednesday to close out non-conference play with a game against Binghamton. The Purple Eagles and Bearcats will tip-off at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. Tickets for Wednesday night’s contest can be purchased via PurpleEagles.com/Tickets or by calling (716) 286-TIXX (8499).
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