COLLEGES
Niagara reaches final in MAAC volleyball
Published: November 22, 2009, 11:23 pm
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The Niagara women's volleyball team will play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament title game for the second time in team history tonight.
The Purple Eagles earned that right with Sunday's thrilling, five-set victory over Siena in the MAAC semifinals at Canisius College. Niagara (22-8, 14-4 MAAC), the second seed, defeated the third-seeded and four-time defending MAAC champs, 25-18, 22-25, 25-20, 26-28, 15-10.
The Purple Eagles, who will play in the title game for the first time since 1993, will face No. 4 Marist at 7:30 p.m. tonight (ESPNU) at Canisius. The winner gets an NCAA tournament bid, something Niagara has never received.
"It was a tremendous match and complete team effort," said Niagara coach Susan Clements, who was honored as the 2009 MAAC Coach of the Year on Saturday.
In Sunday's win, sophomore Hannah Hedrick recorded her second career 20-20 match with 21 kills and 20 digs, while freshman Kari Honomichl led NU with 22 kills and a .317 hitting percentage.
MAAC Setter of the Year Michelle James paced the offense with 57 assists.
In the deciding fifth game, Niagara jumped out to a 6-1 lead behind five kills. The Saints fought back and cut the lead to 12-10, but kills by Hedrick and Honomichl set up match point, and Amanda Wilken teamed up with junior Shannon Ryan for the game-winning block.
Siena's Burgandy McCurdy, the nation's leader in kills, was limited to 17 kills and eight digs for the Saints (15-13, 13-5).
Marist advanced by eliminating top seed Fairfield in five games.
Niagara goes cold
Marcel Williams scored the game-winning
basket with 3.5 seconds left, lifting the Austin Peay men's basketball team to a 69-67 win
over Niagara in the Glenn Wilkes Classic in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Purple Eagles were on fire at the start, hitting seven three-pointers in the first 6 minutes of the game to lead, 21-4. They cooled considerably, however, shooting just 7 of 25 in the second half. Anthony Nelson had a team-high 15 points for Niagara (3-2).
Anthony Campbell led all scorers with 19 points for Austin Peay (2-3), of the Ohio Valley Conference.
Griffs break through
The Canisius women's basketball team
earned its first win of the season in total team fashion Sunday. The Golden Griffins recorded
25 assists on 30 made baskets in a 74-52 win over host Youngstown State (0-4) at the Beeghly
Center.
Senior Ellie Radke led 10 Canisius scorers with 19 points. The Griffs knocked down nine three-pointers in the game, extending their NCAA record of at least one in a game to 457.
"This was a good game for us in the fact we need to build confidence. You can work hard, but when you get a win, that's a positive, tangible result," Canisius coach Terry Zeh said.
Canisius closed the first half on a 21-5 run to pull ahead at halftime, 40-28. Eight players scored for the Griffs (1-2) during the run.
Eagles still winless
Liz Flooks poured in 22 points and Jennifer McNamee added 20 as Niagara shot a season-best 48.9 percent from the field, but the Purple Eagles turned the ball over 27 times in an 83-68 loss to Eastern Michigan at the Gallagher Center.
"The 35 points off of turnovers were the game," NU coach Kendra Faustin said. "They have some really good athletes and it was the most pressure on the defensive end we've faced this season."
EMU (4-0) ended the first half on a 21-8 run to take a 45-33 lead and Niagara could get no closer than seven points in the second half.
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