Sports

GOODBYE TO THE PAST; HELLO TO THE FUTURE

February 14, 2010

By: EJ Giacomini

 

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – The foursome of Tyrone Lewis, Bilal Benn, Rob Garrison and Demetrius Williamson might one day go down as one of the best class of seniors that the legendary “Taps” Gallagher Center has ever seen.

            From players such as Charron Fisher, Juan Mendez and of course Calvin Murphy, Lewis, Benn, Garrison and Williamson have left their mark on the Niagara University Men’s Basketball program.  And what a mark they left.  With MAAC Conference championship, trips to the Men’s NCAA Tournament, and rewriting the record book, these four have done it all at NU, and you can’t ask for much more.

            The Marist Red Foxes of Poughkeepsie, NY came in looking to spoil the special day.  However, from Williamson’s opening two handed dunk, Marist just couldn’t compete with the emotions that ran through not only the four seniors, but the rest of the team and the entire Gallagher Center crowd.  With Williamson scoring the Purple Eagles’ first seven points, Niagara never looked back and was able to cruise to a 70-51 victory in MAAC Conference play in front of 2,062 fans.

            Niagara led by 37-25 at halftime, with Demetrius Williamson leading the way with 12 points.  He would finish the day with 14 points, showing that he should not be overshadowed by anyone.  A native of Chicago, Williamson graduated last year with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, and is currently on pace to finish his MBA in May.  After redshirting his freshman season at Missouri, Williamson would then head to Bakersfield Community College and spend a year there before descending upon Niagara Falls.

Hometown hero Rob Garrison chipped in with nine points in the first half, finishing the game with a game high 18 points.  After attending UConn for two years, Garrison transferred back home to Niagara Falls and has been a fixture in the starting lineup ever since.  On why he transferred back home and to Niagara University, Garrison says “I chose to come back to Niagara because I have a great deal of love for my community and the way that they have embraced me.”  The NU community sure has embraced his time here.

Already with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and working towards another in criminology and criminal justice, Bilal Benn, a transfer from Villanova, has left his mark on the program in the two years he played on Monteagle Ridge.  After earning First-Team All-MAAC honors last year, Benn came out this year to prove that last year was no fluke.  And he proved it to everyone.  Benn went into halftime with just four points and three rebounds, but finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds, showing that he has earned the nickname “Mr. Double Double.”  Rather than praise his game, it is a time to thank Bilal for all he has meant to not only the basketball program but also Niagara University.

And what would this article be without mentioning one of the best players of all time to put on the Purple Eagle jersey, and surely someone who will have that jersey hung in the rafters.  With just three points in the first half, Tyrone Lewis woke up in the second half, finishing with 11 points.

The Levittown, PA native has had quite a career at NU.  He has rewritten the record books his final season at Niagara.  He has a chance to finish second on the all time scoring list.  But, Tyrone is not all about scoring.  As a junior, he earned First-Team All-MAAC honors and MAAC Defensive Player of the Year.  With a major in sociology, Tyrone has not only been the face of the program these past four years, but also the face of the University.

But, not only was this a celebration of the past and the achievements of the four seniors, but a glimpse of the future holds for the Purple Eagles.  Junior point guard Anthony Nelson showed why he will be the leader of this time next year as a senior.  Nelson was unselfish, giving way to the four seniors and letting them have their glory, knowing that his time will come next year.

            Two sophomores in Austin Cooley and Kashief Edwards showed the fans why they will be counted on next year if Niagara is to make a run at another MAAC Championship.  Cooley brought the house down early in the first half with an earth shattering tomahawk dunk that surely is Sports Center Top 10 worthy. 

Though he did not have the 20 point game he had the Friday night before against Siena, Edwards contributed the same way he has all season.  By rebounding, blocking and altering shots, Edwards showed why he can be counted on as a defensive post presence for the next two years on Mount Eagle Ridge.

While today was a celebration of what these four has accomplished at Niagara on the basketball court, we cannot forget what they have accomplished off the court.  Having always been class acts whether it is in the classroom or out in the community, these four men have made Niagara University proud to call them their student-athletes.