ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey - Redshirt junior forward Jordan Jones got the friendly bounce off the backboard and rim to tie the game at 54, but Raheem Solomon's layup with 3.8 seconds to play gave No. 6 Niagara the 56-54 triumph over 11th-seeded Marist in the opening round of the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall on Tuesday evening. 

The Red Foxes conclude their 2019-20 campaign, while the Purple Eagles advance to play third-ranked Rider in the MAAC Quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12.
 

SUMMARY

• Marist scored the game's first three points in the first 1:14 on two made free throws by freshman guard Tyler Sagl, and one by redshirt junior guard Michael Cubbage.
• The lead changed hands 13 times and there were four ties in the first half, with neither team leading by more than four.
• The final lead change of the first half came when Niagara's Marcus Hammond hit a contested jumper in the lane, which gave the Purple Eagles a 31-30 lead going to the locker room.
• Neither team led by more than three in the 15 minutes of the second half. After a Jones jumper, Marist sported a 49-48 lead with 5:44 remaining.
• Niagara then reeled off five straight points, and a three-pointer by Hammond with 4:37 to go gave the Purple Eagles a 53-49 lead, their largest of the second half.
• With 32 seconds to go, Jones' jumper tied the score of 54. On Niagara's next possession, Solomon's shot shot in the paint hit the glass and dropped in with 3.8 seconds to go, which put Niagara up 56-54.

 

KEY STATS

• Jones and freshman guard Tyler Saint-Furcy led the team with 11 points.
• Cubbage, in addition to 10 points, paced the Red Foxes with nine rebounds and six assists.
• Marist assisted on over 77 percent of its field goals in the game.
• On the glass, the Red Foxes had the 35-24 advantage.
• The Red and White also outgained the Purple Eagles in points in the paint (24-18) and bench points (11-9).
• Neither team led by more than four, and the best scoring run from either side was six from Marist. The nightcap featured 21 lead changes and 11 ties.

 

RECORDS

• Marist finishes the year at 7-23, with a 6-14 conference regular season record.
• Niagara jumps to 12-20 overall.

 

NOTES

• This is the sixth time Marist has faced Niagara in the MAAC Championship, which ties Siena, Iona, and Canisius as the most common opponent the Red Foxes have faced in tournament play.
• Cubbage hit double figures for the 16th time.This was the 11th contest this season that Jones climbed the double-digit point plateau. For Saint-Furcy, it was his 10th.
• Marist had 11 games this year decided by five or less points, and seven decided by one or two points.