Quinnipiac got the shot it wanted in the final seconds Saturday afternoon and sophomore forward Grant Randall made sure it ended the right way.

After Niagara took a two-point lead at the free-throw line in the closing moments, the Bobcats came right back down the floor. 

Senior forward Amarri Monroe drew the defense, then fired a kick-out to Randall in the corner, and Randall buried the go-ahead three-pointer as M&T Bank Arena erupted into pandemonium.

The victory moved Quinnipiac to 17-9 overall and 10-5 in MAAC play, while Niagara fell to 6-18 and 3-11.

Still, it didn’t feel like a clean finish for a team that spent most of the afternoon in control. 

Quinnipiac led 36-24 at halftime and carried a 17-point cushion late in the first half, but Niagara flipped the script after the break and turned it into a back-and-forth one-possession fight.

“It’s bittersweet, you gotta be smart about a win like this,” head coach Tom Pecora said

The first half was worked as the Bobcats defended, rebounded, and pushed just enough to get Niagara scrambling. 

Quinnipiac shot 52.2% before halftime and got to its spots early, building the lead behind timely finishing and just enough spacing to keep the Purple Eagles from loading up in the paint.

However, the second half turned into the opposite kind of game. Niagara outscored Quinnipiac 31-20 after the break, and the Bobcats’ margin disappeared possession by possession as the Purple Eagles tightened up defensively.

“When a team comes out like that in the 2nd half, all of a sudden, the tide turns,” Pecora said.

Quinnipiac kept itself alive with second-effort plays as the Bobcats turned 15 Niagara turnovers into 16 points.

Freshman forward Keith McKnight kept generating extra possessions, and his pressure created five steals.

Monroe anchored the game offensively and on the glass, posting a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.

“The play Amari made by kicking that out,” Pecora said. “There aren’t many guys who were preseason player of the year, last year player of the year, you know, trying to be player of the year again in the conference, who are that unselfish.”

That trust is something the Bobcats thrive on. Randall, who finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, said Monroe’s decision told the whole story.

“It means everything. That’s my big brother. It shows that he wants to win,” Randall said.

Niagara’s final push came in waves, led by sophomore forward Will Shortt, controlling the interior and sophomore guard Landon Williams delivering timely buckets as the game tightened.

Williams’ and junior forward Drew Larson’s three-pointers within a minute of one another gave Niagara a 46-44 lead midway through the second half.

Williams wasn’t done, landing a shot with less than eight minutes remaining. Quinnipiac would then respond with a perfectly timed dunk by McKnight and shortly after a clutch three by sophomore guard Jaden Zimmerman to give the Bobcats a 50-49 lead.

“If you put it high enough, right to his hands, he’s gonna go get it. He’s gonna make it every time,” Freshman guard Tai Turnage said. 

Turnage’s imprint showed up all over the closing stretch, even without a point. He played 12 minutes, helped lead Quinnipiac offensively, and was a true leader managing the court.

“I think Tai is the reason we won this game today,” Monroe said. “He made us dig down on defense…and he acts like a seasoned vet, and that’s why he’s so good.

However, with the Bobcats now facing a 55-53 Deficit with 12 seconds remaining, Monroe found Randall in his “sweet spot.”

“That’s his sweet spot, and he missed probably three from that exact spot today. I went, there’s no way he was going to miss again.” Turnage said.

Monroe’s view was even simpler: take the great look, live with the result.

“I just have trust in all my teammates because we all work so hard…but he was due for one.

In the end, Quinnipiac won a game that didn’t look comfortable winning. The Bobcats shot 18-of-60 from the floor, but made eight threes and hit 12 free throws, just enough to survive.

“If someone had not created the statement, ‘winning ugly,’ I would have tonight. Pecora said

Quinnipiac will look to clean up its late-game execution when it travels to Loudonville, NY, to face the Siena Saints on Friday, Feb. 13. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.