LEWISTON, N.Y. -- Keleaf Tate hit a desperation 3-pointer after an offensive rebounds tap-out with 1.1 seconds remaining to give Niagara a 77-74 victory over Cornell on Sunday afternoon at the Gallagher Center. The Purple Eagles jumped to 5-4, while the Big Red fell to 4-5.

Dominic Robb rebounded an air ball on the final possession and was able to kick it out to Tate, who quickly released the shot to give the Purple Eagles the lead. Cornell ran an inbounds play after a review that seemingly drew a foul, but the horn on the clock blew before the ball was inbounded, forcing another try. This time Matt Morgan forced up a halfcourt heave that fell short and the Purple Eagles stole the win, the fourth consecutive game they have played decided by four points or less.

Tate's late trey capped a game that featured 12 lead changes and six ties, with the home team erasing a nine-point lead with less than nine minutes to play. Matt Morgan had 22 points and five assists and Josh Warren netted a career-best 20 along with five assists and four rebounds. Jimmy Boeheim was the third double figure scorer with 12 points, while Steven Julian notched eight points, 10 rebounds and a career-best five blocked shots. Cornell shot just 32 percent from the floor after halftime as the home team rallied. The Big Red assisted on 17 of its 24 field goals, held a 39-38 edge on the backboards and blocked seven shots.

Marvin Prochet finished with a double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) and Robb nearly did as well (12 points, nine rebounds), but it was Tate, who entered the game averaging 9.0 points per game, whose 23 points were the difference.The Purple Eagles turned the ball over just four times and connected on 10-of-24 3-pointers (42 percent). Entering the game, Cornell opponents were shooting just 28 percent from beyond the arc. 

Cornell shot 53 percent from the floor and connected on 6-of-10 3-pointers in the first half to take a 40-37 lead, with Morgan pouring in 16 of his points. Niagara largely kept pace behind 15 points from Prochet, who connected on all five of his 3-point attempts. Warren had 10 points and five assists on the other end for Cornell, as neither team led by more than four points over the first 20 minutes.

The home team took an early lead in the second half, but the Big Red methodically took the edge back and built a lead to nine points after a pair of Warren free throws with 8:16 left. Robb gave Niagara the lead back with a bucket in the lane with 80 seconds remaining, but Morgan's two free throws with 47 ticks remaining swung the lead back Cornell's way. Prochet then hit three of four free throws over the next 30 seconds to regain the advantage and build a two-point lead, but Morgan again drew a foul. The senior calmly sank both shots to even the game, setting up a wild final 10 seconds.

NOTES TO KNOW
• Steven Julian's five blocked shots were a career high and made him the 12th player in school history to surpass 50 in a career (53).
• With his five assists, Matt Morgan moved into the top 20 in school history (224), surpassing Ryan Wittman '10.
• It was Morgan's seventh 20-point game of the season and the 48th of his career, and he reached double figures for the 60th straight game.
• Over his last three outings, Josh Warren is averaging 15.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 63 percent from the floor (17-of-27).
• The team's seven blocked shots were the most by a Big Red team in a Division I game under head coach Brian Earl.

NEXT UP
• The Big Red returns to Ithaca for a 7 p.m. tip-off against Longwood on Monday, Dec. 17 at Newman Arena.
• Cornell has won both previous meetings against the Lancers, including a 69-62 victory last year in Farmville, Va.