Tristan Beckford scores 23 as Bowling Green beats Niagara 88-76

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Tristan Beckford had 23 points, 10 rebounds and three steals as Bowling Green beat Niagara 88-76 on Thursday night.

Makhi Leach added 19 points and seven assists while going 8 of 13 (3 for 4 from 3-point range) for the Falcons (3-0). Juan Cranford Jr. had 11 points and finished 4 of 5 from the field.

Logan Woods finished with 21 points for the Purple Eagles (0-3). Samuele Miccoli added 17 points and five steals for Niagara. Fidel Rotta also had 12 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Bowling Green took the lead 13 seconds into the game and did not trail again. Beckford led the Falcons with 13 points in the first half to help put them up 44-31 at the break. Bowling Green extended its lead to 80-66 during the second half, fueled by a 13-2 scoring run. Beckford scored a team-high 10 points in the second half.