Niagara defeats Sacred Heart 64-61

Niagara Pulls Off Thrilling 64-61 Win Over Sacred Heart

In a back-and-forth battle, the Niagara Purple Eagles edged out visiting Sacred Heart Pioneers 64-61 on Saturday night at Gallagher Center in their conference showdown.

The home team took an early lead, scoring 32 points in the first half to outpace Sacred Heart's 24 points. However, the Pioneers began to chip away in the second half, eventually tying the game with just over two minutes remaining. The tension was palpable as both teams fought for every point, with Niagara ultimately emerging victorious.

Justin Page led the way for the Purple Eagles, scoring 23 points on 4-of-7 three-point shooting and 50% field goal efficiency. Will Shortt chipped in with eight rebounds, while Page also contributed two assists to anchor the team's offense.

For Sacred Heart, Dashon Gittens was the standout performer, putting up 18 points on 57.1% shooting from the field. Taj Bryant added eight rebounds and a spark off the bench, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit.

The advanced statistics paint a nuanced picture of the game, with Niagara's true shooting percentage at 61.2%, compared to Sacred Heart's 50.1%. The Purple Eagles also held an edge in effective field goal percentage (eFG%) at 59.6% to 43.4%.

In a stunning turn of events, Niagara's largest lead was just three points, with the Pioneers pulling within that margin as the clock ticked down. This tightly contested game came down to the wire, with both teams displaying resilience and determination in their pursuit of victory.

The win propels Niagara forward in the conference standings, while Sacred Heart will look to regroup and refocus for its next challenge. The result was a thrilling example of how this matchup could go either way, making it an intriguing contest for fans of the sport.