LEWISTON, NY – Deion Hammond (Mitchellville, MD/Riverdale Baptist School) netted 12 points and Diago Quinn (New York, NY/Lake Forest Academy) totaled eight points and seven rebounds, but Monmouth University men's basketball fell at Niagara University Saturday afternoon, 75-48. The loss sets MU back to 6-16, 5-4 in the MAAC while the Purple Eagles improve to 10-11, 3-5 in league play.

After a back-and-forth first few minutes of the second half, Melik Martin (York, PA/York Catholic) knocked in a wing three to give the Hawks a one-point lead. Shortly thereafter, Niagara went on a 14-1 run to take a 12-point lead, keyed by eight points in the stretch from Chris Barton, five coming from the foul line.  The Purple Eagles went up 20 with 2:31 to go on Barton's corner triple, and went on to win 75-48.

A defensive first half saw Niagara lead by as many as eight after Marvin Prochet hit a three at 9:39, making it 19-11 Purple Eagles. The Blue and White responded with the next eight points, with four different players contributing. NU took the lead back with a Raheem Solomon corner triple, but MU netted the final four points of the half, taking the lead when Hammond's fadeaway jumper went down at 1:27 to send Monmouth to the break up one. The Hawks held Niagara off the board for the final 5:20 of the first half.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"It was not our day… in the first half, we guarded but certain guys we got right now want to do their own thing." – Head Coach King Rice

-Deion Hammond scored in double figures for the fifth game in a row, 14^th time this season and 34^th time in his career.
-Diago Quinn has now grabbed eight rebounds in five games this season.
-Mustapha Traore's nine points was his most since a 10-point effort vs. Manhattan on 1/12.
-Diago Quinn played in his 123^rd career game, moving into 10^th place all time and passing Dejan Delic.
-The 22 first-half points allowed is the third least allowed in a half in MAAC play by MU this season.
-The Hawks have dropped two in a row at the Gallagher Center after winning their previous four.
-MU is now 9-4 all time against Niagara.
-All 15 Hawks on the roster saw action in the game.
-Trevon Gross' six minutes played is his most since 1/3 at Iona.
-The game marked the only time Monmouth and Niagara will match up this season due to the MAAC's 18-game schedule.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth did not allow Niagara to score in the final 5:20 of the opening half.
-Each team was 9-26 from the field in the opening half.
-Monmouth was outrebounded 38-33.
-The Hawks led in points in the paint, 22-18.
-Chris Barton scored a game-high 22 for the Purple Eagles.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth returns home on Thursday night to take on Siena at 7:00 p.m.