Game Notes | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats | Buy Tickets

The Niagara Purple Eagles continue their Western New York homestand with a bout against the Davidson Wildcats at the First Niagara Center in downtown Buffalo, N.Y. on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

The game, which will air live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, is the first of two games being played at the First Niagara Center as part of the Big 4 Basketball Doubleheader. Buffalo versus Canisius will follow immediately after.

Niagara is coming off of a 61-56 victory against the Saint Peter's Peacocks on Sunday at the Gallagher Center to open its conference weekend slate with a 1-1 record. The Purple Eagles rallied from a 12-point deficit with five minutes remaining to snap its seven-game losing streak.

Tipoff Tidbits
• The Purple Eagles are 12-11 at the First Niagara Center with two of those wins coming during the 2005 MAAC Championship en route to claiming their first MAAC Tournament title. 
• Niagara is 4-3 all-time against teams from the Southern Conference. This will be Niagara's second meeting against a SoCon team this season (Western Carolina).
• The Purple Eagles forced a season-high 21 turnovers and allowed a season-low 56 points in their win over Saint Peter's on Dec. 8.
• Niagara's 16 steals against Saint Peter's were the most since getting 17 against Norfolk State on Dec. 29, 2009.

Top Gun
•  Antione Mason is LEADING the nation in scoring at 29.4 points per game.
•  Mason has seven 30-point games this season, including a stretch of five straight (Nov. 21-30).
•  Mason has 14 straight games in double figures.
•  Mason scored at least 20 points in 11 straight games dating back to last season. The streak was snapped on Dec. 6 versus Siena.
•  His 29.4 points per game has him on pace to finish in the top-3 in Niagara's single-season scoring average.
•  He holds the two highest scoring games (career-high 35 vs. Western Carolina & 34 at Seton Hall) in the MAAC this season.
•  Mason has played in 94.5 percent of minutes played which is SIXTH in the nation.
•  Mason has scored at least 20 points in the second half in six games, including five straight (Nov. 21-30).
•  Mason LEADS the nation in field goals made (93) and field goals attempts (202).

Mason Quickly Moving Up NU All-Time Scoring List
• Antoine Mason entered the top-20 all-time scorers list at Niagara on Nov. 30.
• Mason, which started the season 38th on the list, is currently 14th and is 17 points away from moving ahead of Garry Jordan ('81) for 13th all-time.  

College Hoops Daily Names Mason MAAC Player Of The Month
• College Hoops Daily named Antione Mason as MAAC Player of the Month for November.
• Each month, College Hoops Daily's reporter Jon Teitel ranks the top five players in each conference.
• Mason averaged 31.6 points per game (nation-leading) and 4.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 46 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free-throw line.
• Mason was joined on the list by Canisius' Billy Baron, Quinnipiac's Zaid Hearst, Manhattan's George Beamon and Saint Peter's Marvin Dominique.

Stealing A Victory
• Niagara accumulated 16 steals in its comeback win against Saint Peter's on Dec. 8.
• The 16 steals are the most since getting 17 against Norfolk State on Dec. 29, 2009 and are the most by a MAAC team this season.
• Antoine Mason and Rayvon Harris set personal-best with five and three steals, respectively, while Cameron Fowler and Ramone Snowden each tied career-highs with three and two, respectively.
• The Purple Eagles forced a season-high 21 turnovers which led to a 22-5 points off turnover advantage and allowed a season-low in points (56).

Niagara At The First Niagara Center
• The Purple Eagles are 12-11 at the First Niagara Center.
• This will be Niagara's first game at the FNC since Jan. 2, 2010 (lost to Iona 63-60).
• Niagara holds several records at the First Niagara Center:
• Most points - 119 vs. Marist on Jan. 18, 1999
• Most points by an individual - 37 by Juan Mendez vs. Canisius on Dec. 3, 2003
• Most 3-pointers - 8 by Alvin Young vs. Canisius on Feb. 6, 1999
• Most steals - 6 by Alvin Young vs. Marist on Jan. 18, 1999
• Most rebounds - 22 by Kevin Jobity vs. Buffalo on Nov. 30, 1996

Microwave Marvin Heating Up
• Marvin Jordan is averaging 10.8 points per game while shooting 33 percent from behind the arc and 35 percent from the field in the last four games.
• Jordan scored a season-high 19 points at Northwestern State on Nov. 30 and drained a season-high four 3-pointers against Arkansas State on Dec. 2.

Century Mark
• Niagara scored 100 points against Northwestern State to reach the century mark for the first time since Nov. 11, 2011 when the Purple Eagles defeated Central Connecticut State, 102-93 in double overtime.
• The 100 points in regulation were the most since beating Hartford 103-63 on Nov. 29, 2008.

Ware's Double-Double
• Marcus Ware recorded his first career double-double in Niagara's setback at Northwestern State on Nov. 30.
• Ware, who had 18 points and nine rebounds in the first half, finished with a season-high 20 points and career-high 11 rebounds. 
• It was the first double-double of the season by a Purple Eagle and first since Ameen Tanksley vs. Iona on Jan. 13, 2013

Getting To The Line…And Making It Count
• The Purple Eagles are 24th in the nation in team free throw rate (55.6) according to KenPom.com.  The free throw rate captures a team's ability to get to the free-throw line:  free throw attempts divided by field goal attempts.
• 29.8 percent of Niagara points are from the free-throw line, which is EIGTH the nation.
• NU is THIRD in the nation in free throws made (234) and free throws attempts (338).
• Antoine Mason is EIGTH in the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes, according to KenPom.com.
• Mason, who is averaging 12.2 trips to the charity stripe, has made at least six free throws in every game this season. 

It's A Block Party
• Joe Thomas swatted a game-high four blocks against the Siena Saints on Dec. 6 to set a career-high.
• Thomas' four blocks are the most by a Purple Eagle this season and the most since Devon White's four blocks versus Loyola on Feb. 2, 2013.
• Thomas' four blocks are tied for the second most by a Purple Eagle in four seasons. (Kashief Edwards: 6 – Nov. 28, 2010; Kashief Edwards: 4 – Dec. 3, 2010, Devon White: 4 – Feb. 2, 2013; Joe Thomas: 4 – Dec. 6, 2013).

On The Court
Davidson Wildcats (4-5, 0-0 SoCon)
• Davidson, the two-time defending Southern Conference champion, enters Wednesday's game on a three-game winning streak.
• The Wildcats have four players in double figures, led by SoCon Preseason Player of the Year De'Mon Brooks who leads the team in points (16.8) and rebounds (6.4).

Against The Wildcats (First Meeting)

Against The Southern Conference
• Niagara has only faced three teams from the current SoCon (Furman, Appalachian State and Western Carolina).
• All four wins have come against Appalachian State.
• Wednesday's game against Davidson will be the second meeting against a SoCon team this season (Western Carolina).