Niagara University, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Phil Valenti tallied a double- double of 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead his Canisius Golden Griffins to a 77-64 victory over the Niagara Purple Eagles in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference clash at Gallagher Center.

Josiah Heath scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Jermaine Crumpton added 13 points of his own for Canisius (4-3, 2-0 MAAC). Jamal Reynolds chipped in with 12 points and seven boards in the win.

Matt Scott scored 13 points to pace Niagara (1-5, 1-1). Wesley Myers contributed 11 points before fouling out of the contest.

Canisius and Niagara went into halftime knotted at 34-34 after the Golden Griffins shot 48.3 percent from the floor to Niagara's 48.2 percent shooting mark.

In the second half, Canisius improved its shooting touch to an even 50 percent, adding in 13-of-19 from the free-throw line. The Purple Eagles dipped to 40.7 percent shooting, which included a 3-of-10 mark from 3-point distance.

Canisius held a 21-7 advantage over Niagara in points off turnovers, and a 32-19 edge in bench scoring.