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The Niagara Purple Eagles open their MAAC slate at the Gallagher Center on Friday with a matchup against the Siena Saints at 7 p.m. broadcast live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. 

The Purple Eagles (1-7, 0-0 MAAC) return to the friendly confines of Monteagle Ridge after being on the road for six consecutive games. Niagara traveled over 3,300 miles to four different states during its longest road trip of the season.

Niagara starts its home weekend against the Siena Saints (2-7, 0-0 MAAC). The Purple Eagles lead the all-time series, 46-43, and have won four straight in the series which includes winning all three meetings last season.

NU, which begins its 25th season in the MAAC, is 12-12 all-time in MAAC openers. However, the Purple Eagles are 18-6 in MAAC home openers, including winning five of their last seven conference home openers.
 
Tipoff Tidbits
•  Antoine Mason LEADS the nation in scoring with 30.1 points per contest and has scored at least 30 points in six of seven games this season.
•  Niagara LEADS the MAAC in scoring with 81.5 points per game.
•  Senior Marvin Jordan is averaging 16.5 points per game while shooting 50 percent (7-for-14) from behind the arc and 48 percent (10-for-21) from the field in the last two games.
•  The Purple Eagles will play their next five games in Western New York (four at home and one neutral site game in Buffalo). Niagara's next road trip will be in Jan. 2014.
 
How to Tune In
• Friday's game will be broadcast live by Time Warner Cable SportsChannel with Ben Wagner and Mike McDonald on the call.
• Fans can listen live to all the action from "The Voice of the Purple Eagles" Todd Callen on ESPN1520 AM and free online through Purple Eagles All-Access.
 
Top Gun
•  Antione Mason is LEADING the nation in scoring at 30.1 points per game.
•  Mason has six 30-point games this season, including a stretch of five straight (Nov. 21-30).
•  Mason has scored at least 20 points in his last 11 games, dating back to last season, and has 12 straight games in double figures.
•  His 30.1 points per game has him on pace to finish in the top-3 in Niagara's single-season scoring average with Naismith Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy.
•  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 95.3 percent of minutes played which is THIRD in the nation.
• Mason scored at least 20 points in the second half in five straight games (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, which started the season 38th on the list, is currently 18th and is 14 points away from moving ahead of Mike Philips ('82) for 17th 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 was joined on the list by Canisius' Billy Baron, Quinnipiac's Zaid Hearst, Manhattan's George Beamon and Saint Peter's Marvin Dominique.
 
Microwave Marvin Heating Up
•  Marvin Jordan is averaging 16.5 points per game while shooting 50 percent (7-for-14) from behind the arc and 48 percent (10-for-21) from the field in the last two games.
•  Jordan scored a season-high 19 points at Northwestern State and drained a season-high four 3-pointers against Arkansas State.
 
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
 
High Flyers
•  Niagara is currently leading the conference in scoring at 81.5 points per game.
•  The Purple Eagles scored at least 90 points in four of their first seven games this season for the first time since the 1968-69 season.
•  Niagara ranks sixth in the nation in adjusted offensive tempo (the number of possessions per 40 minutes) according to KenPom.com.
 
Getting To The Line…And Making It Count
•  The Purple Eagles are 19th in the nation in team free throw rate (57.0) 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.
•  30.7 percent of Niagara points are from the free-throw line, which is SIXTH the nation.
•  Antoine Mason is TENTH 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 seven free throws in every game this season. 
 
Homeward Bound
•  NU played six straight games away from the Gallagher Center from Nov. 21-Dec. 2.
•  The road trip was Niagara's longest since playing five straight during the 2010-11 season.
 
On The Court
Siena Saints (2-7, 0-0 MAAC)
•  Siena is 2-7 on the season and enters Friday's game on a four-game losing streak.
•  The Saints lost four straight games at the Old Spice Classic to Memphis, Saint Joseph's and Purdue (twice).
•  Junior Rob Poole leads Siena in scoring at 14.2 points per game and junior Evan Hymes is also in double figures at 10.6 ppg. Freshman Marquis Wright is leading the MAAC in assists with 5.1 per game.
 
Against The Saints (Niagara leads 46-43)
•  Niagara has won six of the last eight meetings, including winning all three meetings last season.
•  On Jan. 17, 2013, NU recorded its largest win against Siena in the series as MAAC opponents (87-64) for its fifth straight win against the Saints at the Gallagher Center.
•  Niagara picked up a 78-69 win on Jan. 25, 2013 for its first win at Siena since Jan. 27, 2005.
•  The Purple Eagles eliminated Siena in the MAAC Tournament First Round last season.
 
Last Meeting - March 9, 2013
Siena 62, Niagara 74
 
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The No. 1 seed Niagara Purple Eagles started their march to a conference tournament championship by defeating ninth-seeded Siena, 74-62, in the 2013 MAAC Tournament Quarterfinals on Saturday.
 
Did You Know?
•  Gary Bossert made a Niagara record 12 3-pointers against the Siena Saints on Jan. 7, 1987. Bossert's 11 straight 3-pointers is an NCAA record.