NU’s Last Home Game Till Dec. 22

Niagara returns home to host the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers on Monday at 7 p.m. The Purple Eagles defeated the Mountaineers, 74-64, last season in the first-ever meeting between the programs.

The Purple Eagles are in search of their first win of the young season and would like to do so in its last home game in November. Since the 2007-08 season, Niagara is 6-1 inside of the Gallagher Center during the month of November with the lone defeat coming in the season opener.

Niagara has two of the top five scorers in the conference in freshman guard Antoine Mason and junior forward Kashief Edwards, who have each recorded career-highs this season. Mason is fourth in the conference averaging 19.0 ppg and Edwards is fifth with 18.0 ppg.

Ready for Action

s This will be Niagara’s last home game until Dec. 22. The Purple Eagles will embark on an eight-game road trip which will include MAAC games (Marist, Iona) and rivalry trips (UB and St. Bonaventure).

s Junior forward Kashief Edwards had a career-high night in the season opener. Edwards had career-highs in points (22), field goals (10) and minutes played (38). 

s Freshmen Antoine Mason, Skylar Jones and Marvin Jordan all scored in double-figures in their debut in Niagara’s opener versus Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  

s Mason had scored 38 points in his first two collegiate games. Mason set a new career-high with 20 points and five rebounds in the loss at Georgia Tech. He is fourth in the conference in scoring (19.0 ppg) and leads all freshmen in that category.

s Niagara will play its final three games in the Legends Classic over Thanksgiving weekend. The Purple Eagles will travel to Detroit for games against Bowling Green (11/26), Albany (11/27) and Detroit (11/28).

s Niagara will try to avoid starting the season 0-3 for the first time since the 2006-07 season. That year’s team won the MAAC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.  

How To Tune In

Fans can listen live to all of the action, called by “The Voice of the Purple Eagles” Todd Callen, free through Yahoo! Sports live web-streaming and on WWKB 1520 AM.

Commander-In-Shief

Junior forward embraced his new role as a key starter to this season’s team with career-high night to start the season. Edwards scored a career-high 22 points and had a career-high with 10 field goals and 38 minutes played. Edwards also had five rebounds.

On The Court

Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (1-2)

The Mountaineers head into the Gallagher Center with a 1-2 record after defeating Savannah State in overtime in their last game.

Senior guard Shawn Atupem leads the team in scoring (15.3) and rebounding (7.3).

Against the Mountaineers (NU leads 1-0)

Niagara won the first-ever meeting between the teams, 74-64, in Emmittsburg, Md. on Nov. 25, 2009. 

Last Meeting - Nov. 25, 2009

Niagara 74, Mount St. Mary 64

EMMITTSBURG, Md. - The Niagara men’s basketball team (4-2) had five players in double figures in a 74-64 road win over Mount St. Mary’s (2-2). The total team effort included a pair of double-doubles and a game-high 18 bench points in 23 minutes in senior Tyrone Lewis’ return.