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2K Sports Classic
The Niagara Purple Eagles continue their homestand by opening the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project on Friday against the Bucknell Bison at 7 p.m.

The Niagara Falls Subregional welcomes Bucknell, New Mexico State and West Alabama for the three-day classic from Nov. 16-18. The Purple Eagles plays Bucknell on Friday and New Mexico State on Sunday.

Niagara (1-1) notched its first win of the season with an 86-69 win over St. Francis (Pa.) in the home opener on Tuesday. Niagara improved to 11-4 under Joe Mihalich in home openers, including winning five of the last six home openers.

Bucknell (2-0), NU’s first opponent in the subregional, was tabbed second in the Patriot League and has already picked up wins over Purdue and George Mason. This will be the first meeting between the programs since the 2005-06 season.

Tipoff Tidbits

- Joe Mihalich is three wins away from 250 for his career.
- The Purple Eagles’ 84.5 points per game are 47th in the nation and they are tied for fifth in the nation with 13.0 3-pointers per game.
- NU’s 41.9 3-point percentage is 41st in the nation and account for 46.2 percent of the scoring, which ranks 10th in the nation.
- NU leads the MAAC in scoring, assists, steals, assist/turnover ratio and 3-point field goals
- Antoine Mason had a Purple Eagles season-high of 25 points to lead all scorers in the win versus St. Francis. The 25 points were his highest total since netting 25 against Marist on Jan. 15, 2012

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. Some tickets are still available in the chairback seats section. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.PurpleEagles.com. The Gallagher Center Ticket Office opens one hour prior to tip-off.

How To Tune In
NU fans can listen live to all the action from “The Voice of the Purple Eagles” Todd Callen. The matchup can be heard live on WWKB 1520 AM. Internet listeners can listen free online through Purple Eagles All-Access.

On The Court
Bucknell Bison (2-0/0-0 Patriot)
Bucknell is 2-0 to start the season after defeating Purdue and George Mason in its first two contests. Each game was decided by just five points. Senior forward Mike Muscala had 16 points and 15 rebounds against George Mason.

Against the Bison (Niagara, 5-3)
The Purple Eagles lead the all-time series and have split the last four meetings with the Bison. Coach Joe Mihalich is 2-2 all-time against the Bison.

2K Sports Classic
For the third straight season, NU will participate in a classic run by the Gazelle Group when the Purple Eagles play in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project.  NU opened the four-game classic at Oregon State on Nov. 9 and will host a subregional featuring Bucknell, New Mexico State and West Alabama. NU will play Bucknell on Nov. 16 and New Mexico State on Nov. 18.

Friday
Bucknell vs. Niagara – 7 p.m.
Saturday
Bucknell vs. New Mexico State – 5:30 p.m.
Sunday
West Alabama vs. Bucknell – 1:30 p.m,
New Mexico State vs. Niagara – 4 p.m.

First Time For Everything
The 2K Sports Classic will be the first in-season Division I tournament the Gallagher Center will host.

Early MAAC Leader
Niagara sits atop in the conference in points per game (84.5), in assists per game (16.0), steals per game (9.0), 3-point field goals (13.0) and assist/turnover ratio (1.3).

Mihalich Approaching 250 Wins
Joe Mihalich is three wins away from reaching 250 wins for his career. Mihalich, who is in his 15th season as head coach, is the all-time winningest head coach in MAAC history. Out of the 347 Division I programs, only 28 percent (101) of the current head coaches have at least 250 wins.

Now That’s A Warm Welcome!
Niagara improved to 11-4 all-time in home openers under head coach Joe Mihalich with the win over St. Francis. The Purple Eagles have won five of their last six home openers with the lone loss during the stretch coming in the 2010-11 season opener.

I Love The 80s
Niagara has scored at least 80 points in the first two games to start the season for the first time since the 2003-04 season when NU defeated Youngstown State (89-80) and Bucknell (90-71).