Troy 87, Niagara 71

— -- PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Bobby Dixon had a career-high 29 points and eight assists as Troy rode a big second half to an 87-71 win over Niagara in the championship game of the Duquesne Holiday Tournament Saturday afternoon. Down 45-41 at halftime and 61-59 with 12 minutes to play, the Trojans (6-5) outscored the Purple Eagles 46-26 in the second half and closed the game on a 17-1 run. Cedric Jackson added 17 points and 10 rebounds and Sammy Sharp 10 points and nine rebounds for Troy. Troy, a unanimous choice for last place in the Sunbelt Conference preseason media poll, had lost three of four heading into the tournament. But the Trojans defeated two teams from more highly-regarded conferences for its first in-season tournament title since the Trojans joined NCAA Division I. Troy, which beat the Atlantic 10's Duquesne Dukes Friday night in the first round, finished as high as second only four times in 17 other holiday tournament appearances. Its last title was at the 1991 North Dakota Invitational. J.R. Duffey and Charron Fisher had 15 points each to lead Niagara (3-7), a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference member which had lost six in a row before defeating Appalachian State in the first round Friday.