NIAGARA UNIV., NY - Five players scored 10 or more points in the Iona College men's basketball team's 72-66 win over Niagara at the Gallagher Center tonight. The Gaels (13-6, 7-1 MAAC) held off the Purple Eagles (4-16, 1-7 MAAC) for a tough conference road victory with the help of a 9-for-10 performance from the free throw line in the final three minutes of the game.

Niagara never led in the contest after a Rashon Dwight three-pointer made the score 6-5 at the 16:27 mark of the first half. The Gaels maintained a single-digit lead and led by as many as nine points after a Kyle Smyth free throw with 4:55 remaining made the score 28-19. The Purple Eagles scored the next eight points to cut the deficit to one less than two minutes later. The Gaels answered with six straight points to end the half with a 33-27 advantage.

Four straight Maroon & Gold points put its lead at a game-best 10 points less than a minute into the second half. Niagara stormed back with a 15-5 run to knot the score at 42-42 with 14:59 to play. Freshman Sean Armand hit three straight three-pointers over the next 89 seconds to give Iona a nine-point lead. Niagara got to within three at 66-63 with 35 seconds left on a put back by Eric Williams. Dwight and juniors Michael Glover and Trinity Fields knocked down six free throws to hold off the home team's late run.

Armand led the way for the second straight game with 15 points off the bench. He was 4-for-7 from downtown while adding three rebounds. Junior Scott Machado had 13 points while Smyth added 12. Dwight posted 10 points with the help of a 5-for-6 effort from the charity stripe and Glover posted his 12th double-double of the year with 10 points and 17 rebounds in the win.

Williams had 18 points and nine boards to lead Niagara while senior Anthony Nelson posted 17 points and six assists. Freshmen Malcolm Lemmons and Marvin Jordan also reached double-digits with 12 and 11 points respectively.

The Gaels will look for its sixth straight win when they face Canisius on Sunday (Jan. 23) to complete its Western New York trip. The Maroon & Gold also looks to sweep the "Buffalo swing" for just the fifth time since the two teams joined the league in 1990-91.

Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Iona College..................   33   39  -   72
Niagara.......................   27   39  -   66