LEWISTON — Once they woke up Tuesday, the Niagara University Purple Eagles looked a lot like the men’s basketball team that won 26 games last year.
Only deeper. And a bit hungrier.
With last year’s leading scorer, Tyrone Lewis, wearing a business suit and a walking boot, and starting point guard Anthony Nelson missing most of the first half because of foul trouble, Niagara outlasted Drexel 76-69 in a nationally-televised game that tipped off at 8:05 a.m.
The Purple Eagles’ three young big men — Kashief Edwards, Scooter Gillette and Eric Williams — combined for 16 points and 17 rebounds, and reserve guard Austin Cooley hit two critical 3-pointers down the stretch. But the Purple Eagles would still be seeking their first win if not for the two fifth-year seniors who couldn’t sleep the night before.
“Bilal Benn and Rob Garrison weren’t going to let us lose,” he said. “Both of them worked to the last whistle.”
Garrison finished with 20 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Benn had 19 points and 14 rebounds, topping his 16 and 13 double-double in Friday night’s loss at Auburn.
Both players grabbed tough rebounds and made pressure free throws in the final two minutes to prevent the Purple Eagles (1-1) from blowing another late advantage.
Niagara led by as many as 15 points in the second half, but let Drexel (0-2) get within 72-69 with 27 seconds left. Benn was trapped on the ensuing inbounds pass, and turned the ball over under his own basket, but the Dragons couldn’t capitalize.
“They made the tougher plays at the end of the game,” Drexel coach Bruiser Flint said. “They came up with hustle plays. That’s what guys who are experienced, guys who want to win, do.”
Mihalich said the Auburn loss, in which his team squandered a seven-point lead in the final two minutes, may have helped Tuesday.
“It’s hard to accept that loss. We should’ve won that game,” he said. “But since we did lose it, we have to make sure it helps us win games down the road. If we don’t have that experience down in Alabama, maybe we don’t win today.”
Garrison had a brilliant first half after Nelson picked up his second foul and went to the bench five minutes into the game.
The Purple Eagles were down 15-6 after scoring on just three of their first 11 possession, but Garrison took over the ballhandling responsibilities, and poured in 10 points in a four minute span. He then made a steal under his own basket and took off on the break to set up a Demetrius Williamson 3-pointer that capped a 17-3 run and gave Niagara a lead it would not relinquish.
“When a player goes out, somebody has to step up. On this team, we have a lot of guys who step up,” the Niagara Falls native said. “I always try to be in attack mode, but I think when Anthony is not in the game I need to be more of a playmaker.”
Benn got off to a slow start, but had nine points and five rebounds in a five-minute flurry before halftime, putting him one basket and two boards shy of his second straight first half double-double. Benn’s tip-in made the score 42-30 at halftime, and he hit a 3-pointer at the start of the second half to give Niagara its biggest lead of the game.
Edwards, making his second start, contributed eight points, seven rebounds and three blocks in 27 minutes. Williamson started in place of Lewis and also scored eight. Nelson had seven points and two assists in 24 minutes. Cooley had six points, while Gillette and Williams each had four, after going scoreless in their debuts.
Gerald Colds led Drexel with 18 points and Derrick Thomas had 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Contact reporter Jonah Bronstein at 282-2311, ext. 2258.
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