QU Men's Basketball Drops Nail-Biter At Niagara In MAAC Opener

Friday, December 4

Gallahger Center - Niagara Falls, NY

7:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

2-4, 0-1MAAC

Niagara University

3-5, 1-0MAAC

Quinnipiac

Niagara University

QU Men's Basketball Drops Nail-Biter At Niagara In MAAC Opener

12/4/2015 9:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: QU Sports Information

NIAGARA, N.Y. – Senior guard Giovanni McLean (21 points) and junior forward Donovan Smith (18 points) each had personal bests in their young (six-game) Quinnipiac careers, but the Niagara men's basketball team held off the Bobcats 76-72 in the MAAC Conference opener for both teams on Friday evening at the Gallagher Center.

With the loss, Quinnipiac falls to 2-4 overall on the year and 0-1 in the MAAC, while the Purple Eagles improve to 3-5 overall and 1-0 in the league with the conference-opening win.

The big shot of the game for Niagara came after a long delay for an official's review, as Justin Satchell hit a fadeaway jumper with 28 seconds left to put the Purple Eagles ahead 72-67. Junior guard Daniel Harris (Tampa, Fla.) had just hit a big three-pointer to pull Quinnipiac within one possession with 1:25 to go, and the Bobcats were close to a stop with just under a minute left as Cameron Fowler missed a three-pointer in the corner. In the battle for the rebound, Smith batted the ball high into the air, and the Bobcats were in position to chase the rebound down.

The officials blew a whistle, though, thinking the ball went over the backboard and out of bounds and went to a replay review. After reviewing the play, they reversed the call and ruled the ball stayed inbounds, but nobody had gained possession, resulting in Niagara getting the ball and a fresh 30 seconds, which Satchell took advantage of with a difficult 18-foot fadeaway from the left wing. Smith hit two foul shots to answer and get the Bobcats within three, and McLean hit a tough three-pointer with seven seconds left to pull the Bobcats within two points at 74-72, However, Niagara's Emile Blackman sealed the game with two foul shots to make it a two-possession game and the Bobcats ran out of time.

McLean had 17 of his 21 points in the second half to try to will the Bobcats back into the game. He had six straight points on an old fashioned three-point play and a three-pointer to turn a 45-39 deficit into a 45-45 tie with 14:09 to go. After Niagara took its largest second-half lead at 57-50, McLean hit a tough three-pointer with 8:22 to go and followed with two foul shots to cut the lead to 57-55. However, Niagara was able to keep enough separation to withstand the late three-pointers from Harris and McLean and hold on.

Niagara led for most of the first half, although the Bobcats were able to dig themselves out of an early hole. The Purple Eagles led by as many as nine points early (17-8), but junior guard Daniel Harris (Tampa, Fla.) scored eight points, including a pair of three-pointers, the second of which gave the Bobcats a 24-23 lead with 7:38 left in the half. A 15-foot jumper from junior forward Donovan Smith (Chicago, Ill.), who was 4-5 in the first half for eight points, knotted the score 31-31 with 3:52 left, but Niagara closed out the half on a 5-0 run to take a 36-31 lead at the break.

McLean's 21 passed his previous Quinnipiac high of 18, set in his debut against Vermont on Nov. 18. Smith scored in double figures for the first time in his career, after scoring nine points twice previously. Harris added 17 for the Bobcats, who outrebounded Niagara 35-26 and held the Purple Eagles to only two offensive rebounds. Smith led the Bobcats with nine boards, while McLean added eight. Niagara was led by Blackman and Emile Scott with 20 points apiece, while Satchell added 11 and a team-high eight rebounds.

The last two times Quinnipiac visited Niagara, the game featured even more heavy drama. Two years ago, the Bobcats won a buzzer-beating three-pointer from former guard Umar Shannon, while last year Niagara won a wild 105-100 double-overtime game that went to extra sessions when former guard Zaid Hearst tied the score with four seconds left.

Quinnipiac will be right back in action tomorrow when it completes its two-game Buffalo trip with a road game against Canisius at 7 p.m., which will be shown on ESPN3.