FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Purple Eagles picked up their fourth-straight win with a 77-69 overtime victory over Fairfield (6-9, 2-3 MAAC) Friday night in MAAC men’s basketball action from Leo D. Mahoney Arena.
Niagara (9-5, 4-1) was led by Aaron Gray who finished with a game-high 30 points, followed by Noah Thomasson who collected 21 points, and Joe Kasperzyk who provided a spark off the bench with a season-high 13 points. As a team, the Purple and White finished the game 29-for-64 (45.3 percent) from the field and 14-for-18 (77.8 percent) at the line.
Game Recap
First Half
• Fairfield would have a 15-12 lead at the 11:45 mark of the first half as it led from the opening tip.
• Aaron Gray recorded ten of Niagara’s first 12 points of the game to keep NU in the contest early on.
• An 8-0 run over the next 4:14 of game time gave the Purple Eagles a 18-15 lead, with contributions from Sam Iorio, Harlan Obioha, Joe Kasperzyk and Gray.
• Niagara’s 8-0 run would grow into a 12-2 run by the 5:22 mark of the half, giving the Purple and White its largest lead of the half, 22-17.
• The Stags would close the half on a 9-2 run to take a 26-24 lead into the break.
• All 24 of Niagara’s points in the first half came in the paint as the Purple Eagles finished the half shooting 44.4 percent from the field.
Second Half
• Gray would put an end to the Purple Eagle drought from beyond the arc, starting the second half with a 3-pointer from the top of the arc.
• The next five-plus minutes of the contest saw the Stags outscore NU 14-2, leading to a 40-29 lead for Fairfield and forcing Niagara to take a timeout.
• The next Niagara basket would come at the 12:22 mark when Gray sunk the backend of two at the line, putting the Purple Eagles down by ten, 40-30.
• Moments later Gray would connect on a 3-pointer, his second of the half, to make it a 42-33 game in favor of Fairfield.
• The Purple Eagles would make four-of-five from the field during a three-minute stretch to go down by seven, 48-41 with 7:47 to play.
• Niagara, who was down by 12 (42-30) at the 11:36 mark of the second half, took a 53-52 lead with just over four minutes to play. Moore put Niagara down by one, 50-49, with a 3-pointer, and Thomasson gave the Purple Eagles their first lead of the half on the next possession with a layup.
• Later in the half, Gray and Kasperzyk would connect on back-to-back 3-pointers to give NU a 59-54 lead.
• Fairfield wouldn’t back down as the Stags, with the help of a late foul call, erased that five-point NU lead in the final minutes to force overtime.
Overtime
• Niagara would control the jump ball to start the extra stanza, leading to a Moore layup and a 65-63 lead.
• The Purple Eagles would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of OT, outscoring Fairfield 14-6 to earn the 77-69 win.
• Thomasson and Gray scored four apiece in the extra frame, while Iorio, Moore and Kasperzyk each contributed two for NU.
Niagara Notes
• Friday night marked the 83rd meeting all-time between Niagara and Fairfield, with the Purple Eagles improving to 46-37 in the series.
• Friday was the first overtime game for Niagara since Feb. 4, 2022 against Manhattan at the Gallagher Center. It was also the first time two Purple Eagles finished with 20 or more points since Thomasson and Marcus Hammond combined for 48 versus Marist on March 3, 2022.
• Gray became the first 30-point scorer for Niagara since James Towns dropped 30 against Canisius on Jan. 27, 2018.
• Thomasson registered his eighth 20-plus point game of the season.
• Kasperzyk, a New Haven, Conn., native added a team-high three steals, while leading the reserves with 13 points, including six at the line.
• Iorio played 37 minutes, grabbing a team-best eight boards, while four other Purple Eagles added five or more rebounds in the contest. The Allentown, Pa., product also finished with three assists.
• The Purple and White finished with 48 points in the paint, 20 off the bench, 16 off turnovers, and 14 on fastbreak opportunities.
• Niagara is 4-1 in league play for the first time in ten years.
Up Next
• Niagara travels to Riverdale, NY to take on Manhattan Sunday afternoon at Draddy Gymnasium. The contest between the Purple Eagles and Jaspers is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip on ESPN3. Fans of the Purple and white can also tune in to 1400AM/107.3FM, where Todd Callen will have the call.
