NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – The Purple and White fell to Saint Peter’s 66-65 Sunday afternoon despite three Purple Eagles scoring double-figures. Noah Thomasson led NU with a game-high 22 points, followed by Aaron Gray with 13 and Braxton Bayless with 12.
Niagara (15-13, 10-9 MAAC) shot 48.9 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from 3-point range and 73.3 percent at the line. The Purple Eagles won the rebound battle, 26-23, with David Mitchell grabbing a team-best six boards.
Game Recap
First Half
• Bayless scored the first four points of the ball game for Niagara, giving NU an early lead over Saint Peter’s.
• The Peacocks and Purple Eagles would be tied at 6-6 4:10 into the contest, before SPU jumped out to a 12-8 lead with 13:17 to go in the frame.
• With the Peacocks up 22-17 with just over eight to go in the first half, Niagara would go on a 10-0 run highlighted by a pair of triples from Thomasson and Lance Erving, giving NU a 27-22 lead.
• The Purple Eagles would get four points from Gray, another three from Thomasson and two from Bayless to close the half on a 9-5 spurt and take a nine-point advantage into the locker rooms.
Second Half
• Niagara came out of the break cold as the Purple Eagles didn’t score a basket until the 15:15 mark of the half, giving themselves a three-point cushion, 39-36.
• A 12-2 run by the Peacocks gave Saint Peter’s a 48-41 lead over Niagara with 11:51 to go.
• A pair at the line from Bayless and David Mitchell would put Niagara within three, 48-45, and Gray would make one-of-two at the line to make it a two-point game, 48-46.
• Saint Peter’s would respond with six unanswered to go up by eight, 54-46 with just over eight remaining in the contest.
• An 8-2 run capped off by an old fashioned 3-point play by Sam Iorio made it a two-point SPU lead, 56-54, but the Peacocks would quickly end the Niagara threat with a triple to go back up by five, 59-54.
• With 3:52 remaining in the contest Bayless would connect on a layup to put Niagara down one, 61-60.
• Three made free throws gave Saint Peter’s a 64-60 lead with 17 seconds to go.
• Thomasson would hit two at the charity stripe and bang home a triple with less than a second to go, but the Peackocks would hold on for a 66-65 win.
Niagara Notes
• Niagara drops to 53-41 all-time against Saint Peter’s.
• Erving recorded a career-high five assists.
• Niagara finishes the season 9-4 at home.
• Thomasson led NU in scoring for the 21st time this season and 26th time in his Purple Eagle career.
• Mitchell led Niagara in rebounding for the second consecutive contest.
• Gray reached double-digit points for 16th time this season and the first time since scoring 19 at Marist last Sunday.
Up Next
• The Purple and White close out the 2022-23 regular season with a trip to the Koessler Athletic Center on Saturday, March 4. The game between Niagara and Canisius is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. start on ESPN3.
