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The Niagara Purple Eagles will wrap up the 2013 calendar with a home matchup against the Brown Bears on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m.

Niagara (3-9) had won consecutive games for the first time this season with victories over Saint Peter's and Davidson, before falling to Little 3 rival St. Bonaventure, 74-72.  The Purple Eagles erased another double-digit second half deficit and led by three points with two minutes remaining, but were denied a win on a buzzer beating layup.

The Purple Eagles and Bears (6-4) will meet for the second straight season after not playing since the 1995-96 season.  In last season's encounter, Brown rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to edge Niagara in overtime, 75-74, on Jan. 8, 2013. The loss would be Niagara's only defeat in the month of January (9-1).

Sunday's matchup will feature the nation's leading scorer in Antoine Mason (28.3) and the Ivy's top scorer Sean McGonagill (18.6).

How to Tune In
• Sunday's game will be broadcast live by Time Warner Cable SportsChannel with Kevin Sylvester and Mike MacDonald on the call.
• Fans can listen live to all the action from "The Voice of the Purple Eagles" Todd Callen on WWWS1400 AM and free online through Purple Eagles All-Access.

Tipoff Tidbits
• Marvin Jordan is averaging 13.3 points per game, including a season-high 20 points against St. Bonaventure, in his last six games. Jordan's season-and game-high five triples against Bonaventure were the most by a Purple Eagle since Jordan made five against Oregon State in the season opener last season.
• In the defeat to Bona, Niagara lost its first game (3-1) this season when having a better field goal percentage than its opponent (48%-42.4%). 
• Cameron Fowler scored a career-high seven points, while Tahjere McCall had a season- and game-high six assists against St. Bonaventure.
• This will be Niagara's second Ivy opponent this season (lost to Penn on Nov. 26) and its final non-conference opponent of the regular season.

Top Gun
•  Antoine Mason is LEADING the nation in scoring at 28.3 points per game.
•  Mason LEADS the nation in field goals made (103) and field goals attempts (228).
• Mason accounts for 36 percent of Niagara points which LEADS the country.
• Mason has seven 30-point games this season, including a stretch of five straight (Nov. 21-30).
•  Mason has 16 straight games in double figures.
•  Mason scored at least 20 points in 11 straight games dating back to last season (snapped on Dec. 6) and has scored at least 20 points in 11 of 12 games this season.
• His 28.3 points per game has him on pace to finish in the top-4 in Niagara's single-season scoring average.
• He holds the two highest scoring games (career-high 35 vs. Western Carolina & Saint Peter's) in the MAAC this season.
•  Mason has played in 94.0 percent of minutes played which is SEVENTH in the nation.
•  Mason has scored at least 20 points in the second half in six games, including five straight (Nov. 21-30).

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, who started the season 38th on the list, is currently 13th and is 30 points away from moving ahead of Niagara University Hall of Famer Marshall Wingate ('72) for 12th all-time.  

Second Half Team
• The Purple Eagles have surged in the second half this season, including second half comeback wins over Saint Peter's and Davidson.
• NU holds a +2.3 scoring margin in the second half.
• The Purple Eagles are outshooting teams in 3-pointers (32 to 24), field goals (169 to 161) and free throws (167 to 164).
• NU also has a +2.9 turnover margin and a 58-30 advantage in steals. 

Microwave Marvin Heating Up
• Marvin Jordan is averaging 13.3 points per game while shooting 41 percent from behind the arc, 43 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free-throw line in the last six games.
• Jordan scored a then-season-high 19 points at Northwestern State on Nov. 30 and drained a season-high four 3-pointers against Arkansas State on Dec. 2.
• Jordan was second on the team in scoring with 17 points, shared game-high honors in assists with four and grabbed a game-high three steals in the win over Davidson on Dec. 11.
• Jordan set season-highs with 20 points and with five 3-pointers against St. Bonaventure on Dec. 21. The five 3-pointers were the most by a Purple Eagle this season.

Getting To The Line…And Making It Count
• The Purple Eagles are NINTH in the nation in team free throw rate (56.8) 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.
• 29.7 percent of Niagara points are from the free-throw line, which is FOURTH the nation.
• NU is SIXTH in the nation in free throws made (279) and FIFTH in free throws attempts (402).
• Antoine Mason is THIRD in the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes, according to KenPom.com.
• Mason, who is averaging 12.8 trips to the charity stripe, has made at least six free throws in every game this season. 

Jordan Climbing NU's 3-Pointers Chart
• Marvin Jordan is second at Niagara in career 3-pointers surpassing Lorenzo Miles ('07) on Nov. 22.
• Jordan needs 51 triples to tie Tyrone Lewis ('10) for first.
• Jordan holds the Niagara freshman (77) and sophomore (83) single-season 3-point records.

On The Court
Brown Bears (6-4, 0-0 Ivy League)
• Brown enters Sunday's game on a two-game skid after defeats to Albany and at Northwestern.
• The Bears boast the Ivy League's leading scorer in Sean McGonagill at 18.6 points per game. McGonagill also leads the conference in 3-pointers with 35.
• Brown is strong on the boards. The Bears average 40.7 rebounds per game to lead the Ivy League and have two players averaging seven boards per game in Rafael Maia (7.9) and Cedric Kuakumensah (7.6).

Against The Bears (Brown leads, 2-1)
• Niagara is 1-2 all-time against Brown.
• The Purple Eagles won the first meeting on Dec. 27, 1975 (77-59)
• The series resumed last season after an 18-year hiatus.

Last Meeting - January 8, 2013
Brown 75, Niagara 74 (overtime)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Niagara Purple Eagles fell to the Brown Bears, 75-74, in overtime on Tuesday to begin their three-game road trip.

Against The Ivy League
• Niagara is 28-32 all-time against the Ivy League.
• The Purple Eagles have played every team except Harvard.
• NU has played Cornell the most (47) as the two were ECAC rivals.
• This will be Niagara's second Ivy opponent this season (lost to Penn on Nov. 26).