NEW YORK (AP) -Tyrone Lewis scored 20 of his career-high 31 points in the first half as Niagara beat Manhattan 68-49 on Saturday night.
Lewis hit six of 14 3-point attempts, including five in the first half for Niagara (16-6, 7-3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Bilal Benn scored 15 points for the Purple Eagles, while Benson Egemonye added eight points and 11 rebounds.
Chris Smith scored 14 points and Jamel Ferguson had 11 for the Jaspers (11-10, 5-6), who lost for the eighth time in nine games against the Purple Eagles.
Niagara opened with an 11-0 run and never looked back, scoring 15 of its 35 first-half points on 10 turnovers by the Jaspers. The Purple Eagles lead the MAAC with 226 steals this season.
Lewis made three straight 3-pointers to close out the half for Niagara.
The game was delayed for seven minutes while officials reviewed a replay that showed Niagara's Anthony Nelson punched Manhattan's Patrick Bouli in the stomach with little over a minute remaining. Nelson was charged with a flagrant foul and was ejected, while Bouli received a technical foul. Under NCAA rules, Nelson will be suspended one game.
Niagara led by as many as 28 points in the second half.
Manhattan hit only eight of 30 shots in the first half, and 21 of 71 overall.
