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BracketBusters
The MAAC-leading Niagara Purple Eagles begin their final three games of the regular season by hosting the Southland Conference-leading Northwestern State Demons on Friday in the 11th annual Ramada WorldWide BracketBusters airing live on ESPN3 at 3 p.m.

The Gallagher Center will play host to two first place teams in their respective conferences in the final edition of the BracketBusters series. NU’s rise to the top of the MAAC was buoyed by a program-best 10-game MAAC winning streak which gave the Purple Eagles their best conference start in program history at 10-1; their 12-4 MAAC record ties a program-best through 16 games. Northwestern State, which leads the nation in scoring with 84 points per game, has won 10 of its last 11 games, including nine straight entering Saturday’s game.

Niagara is 5-3 all-time in the BracketBusters since first participating during the 2004-05 season. The Purple Eagles had won five straight in the series until falling last season on the road to eventual America East champion Vermont.

Tipoff Tidbits
~ NU is 3-0 at home in the BracketBusters series, including defeating Illinois State 70-56 in 2009 on ESPN2 in its only other appearance on ESPN.  NU is 3-0 on the ESPN Family of Networks this season (Iona, Canisius & Marist on ESPN3).
~ Antoine Mason has missed the last four games due to an ankle injury he suffered in double overtime versus Loyola. Mason is second in the conference and 30th in the nation in scoring with 18.9 points per game.
~ Juan’ya Green became the 42nd member and second sophomore of the 1,000-point club on Feb. 15. He is the all-time leading sophomore scorer in program history.
~ NU held its second straight opponent and fifth of the season to under 60 points in the win at Manhattan. The Purple Eagles are 49-3, including 5-0 this season, under Joe Mihalich when doing so.
~ Antoine Mason (18.9) and Juan’ya Green (16.7) are the sixth highest scoring duo in the nation at 35.6 points per game.

How To Tune In
Saturday’s game will be aired live on ESPN3. 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 WGR 550 AM. Internet listeners can listen free online through Purple Eagles All-Access.

MAAC Start Sets Program Record
Niagara had its best start in conference play in its 24-year history as a MAAC member. The Purple Eagles’ 10-1 start was their best ever, breaking the record set during the 1998-99 season.

YEAR	RECORD	FINISHED
2008-09	12-4	14-4/2nd
2012-13	12-4	???
2004-05	12-4	13-5/t1st
1998-99	12-4	13-5/2nd
1992-93	11-3	11-3/2nd
2006-07	11-5	13-5/2nd
2003-04	11-5	13-5/2nd

Home Cooking
NU started its home slate 9-1 which was its best start since the 2004-05 season when the Purple Eagles went unbeaten.

Best home record under Mihalich:

YEAR	RECORD	FINISHED
2004-05	12-0	13-0
1998-99	10-1	10-1
2008-09	10-2	11-3
1999-00	10-2	10-2
2007-08	10-2	10-2
2012-13	9-3	???

Green Reaches 1,000-Point Threshold
Juan’ya Green became the 42nd member of the 1,000-point club on Feb. 15. Green scored his 1,000th point on a dunk for his points in the game against Marist. Green is the second sophomore in program history to reach 1,000 points, joining Garry Jordan (1977-79) and the all-time leading sophomore scorer.

Road Tough
Seven of Niagara’s 12 conference wins have come on the road, including winning five of its first six MAAC road games for the first time in program history.
NU tied its best ever conference road record of 7-2 set which was set during the 2000-01 season.

YEAR	RECORD
2012-13	7-2
2000-01	7-2
2008-09	6-3
2002-03	6-3
2006-07	6-3
2003-04	6-3
1998-99	5-2
1992-93	5-2

Double-Digit Conference Wins
Niagara is one of 25 teams to have at least 12 conference wins this season. The Purple Eagles, who have double-digit MAAC wins for the first time since the 2008-09 season, are tied for the fourth most conference wins in the nation.

On The Court
Northwestern State Demons (19-6, 13-2 Southland)
Northwestern State enters Saturday’s matchup on a nine-game winning streak and has won 10 of its last 11 games. The Demons sit in first place in the Southland Conference with a 13-2 record. NW State is the highest scoring team in the nation, averaging 84 points per game, fourth in steals per game at 10.4 per contest, eighth in rebounds per game with 40.8 and 21st in blocks per game with 5.1.

NW State has 10 players averaging at least 15 mintues per game and has four Demons averaging in double figures, led by DeQuan Hicks at 14.2 per game. James Hublin leads the team in rebounds per game (6.1) and Jalan West leads the team in assists (5.1).

Against the Demons (First Meeting)

Against the Southland Conference
Niagara is 1-0 against teams from the Southland Conference, defeating Sam Houston State, 59-52, last season.

BracketBusters History
Niagara is 5-3 all-time in the BracketBusters since first participating during the 2004-05 season. The Purple Eagles had won five straight in the series until falling last season on the road to eventual America East champion Vermont.

Niagara was selected for a televised Brackebusters game for the first time since 2009, when the Purple Eagles defeated Illinois State 70-56 in front of a sold-out Gallagher Center on ESPN2.

2012 – Niagara 70, *Vermont 92

2011 – *Niagara 61, Central Michigan 55

2010 – Niagara 85, *Milwaukee 79

2009 – *Niagara 70, Illinois State 56

2008 – Niagara 76, *Appalachian State 75

2007 – *Niagara 90, Liberty 81

2006 – *Valparaiso 88, Niagara 82

2005 – *Akron 74, Niagara 68

* - Home Team

Dynamic Duo Scoring Leaders
Antoine Mason (18.9) and Juan’ya Green (16.7) are the sixth highest scoring duo in the nation at 35.6 points per game. The duo is the youngest pair on the top list. Iona’s Lamont Jones and Sean Armand are first at 40.7 ppg.

PLAYERS	TEAM	PPG
Jones/Armand	Iona	40.7
Haws/Davies	BYU	38.9
Vinales/Hunter	CCSU	38.5
Green/Eddie	Va. Tech	38.3
Seeley/Vaughn	CS Fullerton	35.8
Mason/Green	Niagara	35.6

Win’ya!
Juan’ya Green’s knack for late game heroics has earned him the moniker “Win’ya” dubbed by the Voice of the Purple Eagles. Green, who scored game-winners against St. Francis and Sam Houston State last season, has last-second game-winning 3-pointers against Iona and Marist and drained a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left to effectively seal NU’s win at Manhattan on Feb. 17 this season.
Green also assisted on the game-winning last-gasp 3-pointer in the win versus Canisius.

February Fever
Niagara is 36-16 since the 2006-07 season, including a splendid 22-5 mark at the Gallagher Center. NU opened February with a double overtime setback at home against Loyola and will play two more games in the month including Saturday’s BracketBusters game against Northwestern State. NU has six straight seasons with a .500 record or better during this month, but will need to win the next two to keep the streak active.