Ready For Action
s Niagara has won seven of the last eight meetings at the Gallagher Center.

s On Feb. 4 versus Saint Peter’s, Anthony Nelson became the third Purple Eagle to have 200 steals in his career, joining Mike Phillips (216) and former teammate Tyrone Lewis (250).

s Nelson entered this weekend leading the nation with 3.3 steals per game. Nelson is on pace to shatter the school record in steals per game in a season, which was set by former backcourt teammate Tyrone Lewis during the 2008-09 season (2.6 spg).

s Nelson is quickly approaching the all-time assists record held by Alvin Cruz (‘05). Nelson, who is averaging 4.5 apg, needs to average 5.1 apg to tie Cruz’s 630 assists.

s Niagara leads the conference in steals per game with 7.9. The Purple Eagles had 15 steals versus Saint Peter’s on Feb. 4 which were a season-high. Kevon Moore and Eric Williams set career-best in steals with five and three steals, respectively.

s Marvin Jordan has led or shared the lead in scoring in four straight games, averaging 17.8 during the stretch. Jordan is fourth in the conference and leads all MAAC freshmen with 57 3-pointers (2.4 per game).

s The 2011 Sears BracketBuster games were announced on Monday. The Purple Eagles will host the Central Michigan Chippewas on Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. Niagara is 2-0 all-time against Central Michigan and has won the last four BracketBusters.

Get Your Tickets!       

 Tickets for the game are still available. Fans can guarantee their seats by purchasing tickets in advance with no additional service fees by calling the Ticket Office at (716) 286-8499. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.PurpleEagles.com. If available, tickets can be purchased at the door. The Gallagher Center/Dwyer Arena Ticket Office opens one hour prior to tip-off/opening face-off.

How To Tune In        

Sunday’s game will air live on the MSG Network and MASN. NU fans can also listen live to all the action this season from “The Voice of the Purple Eagles” Todd Callen. The matchup can be heard live on WWKB 1520 AM. Internet listeners can listen free through Yahoo! Sports live web-streaming.

Moving Up The Charts

Nelson became the 41st member of the 1,000-point club on Jan. 15. The Plainfield, N.J. native accomplished the feat in front of family and friends at Saint Peter’s.

The point guard is also closing in on Alvin Cruz’s all-time assists record. Nelson currently has 594 assists and needs 36 to tie Cruz’s 630 assists.

Nelson is third in steals with 200 and needs 50 steals to tie former teammate Tyrone Lewis for first.

One Of A Kind

Anthony Nelson has a chance to become the only Purple Eagle in the 104 years of basketball to have over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 600 assists and 200 steals. Nelson reached 1,000 points and 500 rebounds on Jan. 15 and reached the 200 steals plateau on Feb. 4. He needs six more assists for 600 in his career.

BracketBuster Opponent Announced

Niagara will face the Central Michigan Chippewas in a Sears BracketBuster matchup on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. from the ‘Taps’ Gallagher Center.

NU and CMU will meet for the third time in program history and the first-time ever in a BracketBuster game. Niagara won the two previous meetings. NU won 80-73 on Dec. 23, 2006 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. and topped the Chippewas,79-73, in the 2007-08 season opener on Nov. 16, 2007 at the Gallagher Center.

Stealing Your Attention

Anthony Nelson’s eight steals versus Siena put him in a second place tie with six other Purple Eagles. Alvin Young holds the record with nine steals set on Jan. 30, 1999 versus Saint Peter’s. His career-high eight steals rank tied for fourth most in the nation this season.  His 3.3 steals per game leads the nation.

On The Court

Marist Red Foxes (4-20, 3-9 MAAC)

Marist comes into the Gallagher Center on a seven-game losing streak and lost 10 of the last 11 games. The Red Foxes rank ninth in scoring offense (60.1) and last in scoring defense (73.7) and scoring margin (-13.6). Sophomore guard Sam Prescott leads the team in scoring with 10.9 ppg. Prescott is the only Red Fox to average in double figures.

Against the Red Foxes (NU leads 18-13)

Niagara had its four-game win streak snapped on Dec. 3. The win streak tied the longest against Marist which was set from Jan. 8, 2003-Feb. 26, 2004.

Last Meeting - December 3, 2010

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Niagara men’s basketball team fell at the Marist Red Foxes, 80-72, on Friday night at the McCann Center to drop its first conference opener in four seasons. Freshman Skylar Jones led the game with a career-high 20 points.