LEWISTON — One thing hasn't changed since the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

championship game last March: Niagara is still in love with the three-pointer. Clearly, this

was no short-term fling. The Purple Eagles are smitten with the shot. They'll probably sent it

roses for Valentine's Day a week from Sunday.

They're a dangerous team when the shots fall. But there's another thing that hasn't changed

about Joe Mihalich's club. They're really tough when they're doing the little things well

— those dirty, essential basketball tasks like deflecting passes, stealing the ball

away, blocking shots and getting teams to play at their frenetic, break-neck pace.

That team has often gone missing this season. You wondered what became of the Eagles who won

26 games a year ago and were clamoring for an NCAA at-large berth. They entered Friday night's

rematch with rival Canisius trailing the Golden Griffins in the MAAC standings and staring at

a possible play-in game in Albany.

But the scrappy Niagara bunch showed up at a packed, raucous Gallagher Center on Friday

night. The resourceful Eagles gutted out a 66-54 victory that lifted them over .500 overall

for the season and pulled them into a three-way tie for fifth place in the MAAC with Rider and

Canisius at 6-7.

Oh, they're 2-0 in February, which has typically been Niagara's most cherished month under

Mihalich. The Eagles are 21-4 in this month over the past three-plus seasons. Whatever

troubles they might have, they generally find their stride about a month before tournament

time.

"We love February," Mihalich said. "It's always been good to us. Here it is February and

we're starting to get that feeling back."

You tend to get that feeling when you get your hands on the ball. Niagara had 10 steals and

a season-high nine blocked shots against Canisius. The Eagles aren't known for their interior

defense, but they used their quickness to converge on the Griffs' shooters under the basket.

"They're bigger, faster, longer and deeper," Mihalich said. "To hold them to 54 points,

we're really proud. Our defense became a little more energized."

Mihalich also got a big night from his bench. All three of his reserves (Austin Cooley,

Scooter Gillette and Kashief Edwards) had a blocked shot in an entertaining first half.

Seniors Tyrone Lewis and Bilal Benn, meanwhile, set the tone with their all-around athletic

play.

Lewis (3-for-14 shooting) and Benn (3 for 11) aren't the most artistic scorers. But they're

the competitive soul of the team, first-team All-MAAC players. Lewis had six rebounds and

three steals. Benn had 11 rebounds, four steals and a block.

That's the sort of play that wins game at tournament time. At some point in March, you have

to pull out a win when the shots aren't falling. So when Mihalich says his team is getting

that feeling, he's talking about the feeling that comes when a team uses all its resources to

prevail as a unit.

Niagara isn't the team it was a year ago. The Eagles miss Benson Egemonye, a 6-foot-10 center

who gave them a rare interior presence at both ends of the floor. As Mihalich will tell you,

they play five guards most of the time. They're too perimeter-oriented, which is asking for

trouble at tournament time.

But you can never count this Niagara team out. If they get on a shooting roll in March, they

can beat anyone in the MAAC — although Siena, the clear favorite, will again have the

advantage of playing on its home floor in Albany.

Lewis has a way of rising to the big moment. He took over the MAAC tourney as a freshman in

'07. As his career winds to a close, he has vivid memories of the Eagles' run to the MAAC

title three years ago.

"If I think back to my freshman year, it is kind of similar," Lewis said. "The guys are

different. But we're getting that feeling back. The last three games, it's been feeling like

Niagara basketball again."