Jan. 18, 2007
Final Stats
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y.-Senior point guard Jared Jordan (Hartford, Conn.) and junior forward Wilfred Benjamin (St. Francis Village Erin, Trinidad) combined for 46 points to power visiting Marist to a 91-86 overtime victory over Niagara Thursday evening at the legendary Taps Gallagher Center. The Red Foxes improved to 14-4 overall and 6-1 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play, while Niagara dipped to 9-10 overall and 4-4 in the league.
Marist is 3-0 this season in overtime, while the Purple Eagles have lost seven straight overtime contests.
Jordan tallied a game-high 26 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, while Benjamin had career-highs in points (20) and rebounds (nine). Senior center James Smith (Nyack, N.Y.) had 19 points and three blocks in just 23 minutes of action, while senior guard Will Whittington (Kingwood, Tx.) had 17 points and a career-high nine rebounds. Whittington had 10 of his points in overtime, which included a pair of long 3-pointers.
The Purple Eagles were led by 18 points apiece from Clif Brown and J.R. Duffey, while Charron Fisher had 16 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Lorenzo Miles and Tyrone Lewis also posted 14 points apiece. Fisher and Lewis led Niagara with three assists, while Lewis had four steals.
The Purple Eagles were plagued by poor shooting from the field, tossing in just 28 of 80 attempts for 35 percent. Fisher, Miles and Lewis went a combined 15-51 from the floor. Marist shot 48.6 percent from the field on 34-70 shooting.
The Purple Eagles held a 50-43 rebounding advantage, due in large part to 25 offensive rebounds.
Jordan is also one of just two players in the nation currently leading his team in points, rebounds and assists (Jamont Gordon-Mississippi State). He is bidding to become the first player in Division I history since Southern University's Avery Johnson to lead the nation in assists twice. Johnson averaged 10.74 during the 1986-87 season and 13.3 the following season.
Marist got out to a quick 15-7 lead in the first half on a 3-pointer by Smith just four minutes, 32 seconds into the contest. However, Niagara ripped off a 9-0 run over the next three minutes, 55 seconds to take a 16-15 lead on a 3-pointer by Lewis. The Purple Eagles took a 36-35 lead into the locker room at halftime after Fisher hit a jumper with just over a minute to play.
Niagara looked as though it would pull away for the win in the early stages of the second half when it went up by eight (55-47) on a 3-pointer by Fisher with 11:29 to go in the contest. Marist, though, would pull back even (59-59) just three minutes, 38 seconds later on a layup by Smith, capping a 12-4 run.
Marist looked to have the game salted away with three seconds left as Jordan went to the free throw line with a one point lead. However, Jordan made just one of two to give the Red Foxes a 76-74 lead. On the ensuing possession, Miles hit Fisher with a halfcourt pass, which led Fisher's game-tying buzzer beater from 13 feet away to send the game to overtime.
In overtime, Marist made four of its seven shots, including three 3-pointers, while Niagara made just three of 13 shots to give the Red Foxes their second win at Niagara in 10 tries.
The Red Foxes will now turn their attention to a Saturday afternoon (2 p.m.) date at Canisius (8-10 overall, 3-5 MAAC). The Golden Griffins won in overtime Thursday themselves, defeating Iona 72-65. The Red Foxes knocked off Canisius 80-69 on Dec. 8 in the McCann Center. Marist has never swept the Buffalo Swing in its 10 years in the MAAC.
