How sweet home has been for the Niagara women’s basketball team.

The Kendra Faustin-led group began its homestand on Jan. 29 with just five wins under its belt this season. Five more Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victories later and the Purple Eagles have doubled their win total to 10, most recently handing Loyola (Md.) a 61-56 loss Monday at the Gallagher Center.

“We’re getting better,” Faustin said. “Home court without a doubt played a role. We haven’t traveled in awhile, and the girls haven’t had to worry about a travel schedule and getting back (from a road game) at 5 a.m. and getting up for class at 8.”

While the extra rest has paid large dividends the past 11 days, things didn’t exactly start smoothly for NU (10-13 overall, 7-5 MAAC) on Monday — the team had just one point to its credit more than five minutes into the game, finishing 6 for 30 (20 percent) from the floor in the first half.

“In the first half we were too tentative,” Faustin said. “We weren’t attacking the rim, we weren’t moving the ball at all.”

The result was a 23-22 halftime lead for the Greyhounds (10-13, 5-7), with Niagara’s weak interior defense enabling Loyola’s Miriam McKenzie to score an easy 11 points.

Then, Niagara woke up.

Junior forward Liz Flooks, NU’s leading scorer and rebounder, had just five points in the first half but turned on the switch in the last 20 minutes of play, imposing her will in the paint and from the perimeter.

“There’s not a shot that’s a bad shot for Liz,” Faustin said. “Night in and night out she can score in so many ways. She makes shots, and she makes big shots.”

Flooks’ shot-making ability led to 17 second-half points for a total of 22 on the night. She also came just a rebound shy of a double-double.

“It’s been a real team effort. I wouldn’t get the shots I get if Kayla (Stroman) wasn’t aggressive and at the basket, if Rachele (Folino) doesn’t set those strong screens, if Ali (Morris) doesn’t drive to the hole,” Flooks said. “We’re all playing together as a unit and it’s just awesome to see all the hard work paying off.”

The Purple Eagles, who have now won seven of their last eight games, improved their shooting by nearly 30 percent after the break, going 13 for 27 in the second half. In what was a 38-38 game with 11 minutes remaining, Niagara went on a 13-3 run over the next six minutes to jump out to a 51-41 advantage, a spurt keyed by Flooks, Folino (13 points, seven rebounds) and Morris (10 points, five boards).

Despite a late surge from Loyola, powered by Katie Sheahin’s 10 second-half points, NU’s trap defense and keep-away offense prevented a comeback, and in the process it recorded its fourth consecutive game with 20-plus turnovers.

“We call it ‘Purple Pride,’” Flooks said. “It’s deflections and it’s steals. We’re making the good reads and playing with court sense.”

Niagara begins a four-game road trip Feb. 13 when it visits Manhattan.