After opening the weekend with a win, the Purple Eagles look to Sunday’s 2 p.m. Senior Day matchup against the Manhattan Jaspers with some momentum. 
   
With Friday’s win over Fairfield, the Purple Eagles (13-13, 8-7 MAAC) find themselves two-games out of a tie for second place with three games remaining in the season. Their late charge up the standings with their first game of the year against the Manhattan Jaspers (6-20, 3-12 MAAC).  NU swept the series in 2011-12 with a 61-55 win on the road before ending the regular season with a 56-44 win at the Gallagher Center. A win on Saturday would also tie the all-time series at 24-24.
   
Sunday is Senior Day for the Purple Eagles.  Two seniors will be honored before the game.  Jess Flamm has seen two MAAC Tournament Semifinal runs over her four years on Monteagle Ridge.  She scored a career-high 5.5 ppg throughout the 2009-10 season and has a career free-throw percentage of .800 (60-for-75).  The senior being honored is head manager Rene’e Polka.  Polka is in her third season in her current position. 
 
How to Tune In
Fans can watch all of the action on Purple Eagles All-Access with announcer Dave Universal.  Live stats will also be available.
 
Last Time Out
Propelled by a 21-2 second half run, the Purple Eagles defeated the Fairfield Stags 50-39 Friday night in the Gallagher Center.
  
Niagara (13-13, 8-7 MAAC) faced a 32-27 deficit with six minutes elapsed in the second, but stormed back thanks to a defensive effort that saw it hold Fairfield (16-10, 10-5 MAAC) without a field goal for the next 13 minutes, forcing the Stags to go 0-10 from the floor.  Kelly Van Leeuwen got things started on offense with a three-pointer for three of her nine points on the night.  Lauren Gatto, Kayla Stroman, Shy Britton, Val McQuade, and Meghan McGuinness all added points to the run that put the Purple Eagles up 46-33 by the time it was over.
  
Fairfield was able to hit a couple of shots in the final minute but also sent Van Leeuwen to the line twice, and she didn’t miss, as the Purple Eagles pulled away with a50-39 victory.
 
On The Court: Manhattan Jaspers (6-20, 3-12 MAAC)
The Jaspers enter Sunday on a five-game losing streak with their last win coming on February 3 at home against Canisius, 54-51.  They have also lost their last seven games on the road.  They lost at Cansius (63-47) on Friday after dropping games at Marist (66-47), Loyola (54-34), Rider (60-57), Fairfield (76-50), Siena (62-55), and Iona (76-46).  The team’s last win on the road came against Saint Peter’s (73-66) on January 3.
  
Manhattan is led on offense by Monica Roeder’s 12.2 ppg.  The guard also leads in three-point percentage (31.9 percent) out of players with more than two attempts.  Tori-Ann Lawrence and Allison Skrec are the other two players who average more than 8.0 ppg.  Lawrence has averaged 9.5 ppg and Skrec has 8.2 ppg.  Shayna Ericksen leads the team with 6.5 rebounds per game. 
 
Against the Jaspers (Manhattan leads 24-23)
The Purple Eagles are have won the last two games against the Jaspers after sweeping last season’s series.  A win on Sunday would move Niagara one-win away from tying their record for consecutive victories over the Jaspers.
 
Back To The Nest
The Purple Eagles play three consecutive games at home before ending the regular season with a road game against Manhattan. They are 8-4 in the Gallagher Center this season and 5-2 in MAAC games.  They are on a stretch that has them victorious in five of the last six games.
 
Winning Some Games
The Purple Eagles won four-straight games over the Jaspers between February 2004 and February 2005.  The first game of the streak was their largest victory ever, a 30-point (71-41) win.  After that NU won 65-49, 58-54, and 60-56.
 
Under 40
The Purple Eagles held the Stags to under 40 points on Friday. The last time they held an opponent to under 40 points was on Dec. 3, 1995 when they kept UMES to 32 points.
 
Scoring 60
Niagara has scored at least 60 points in six of the last seven games against the Jaspers.  It fell two possessions short in the last matchup, a 56-44 win.
 
Double Digit Wins
Four of the Purple Eagles’ last five wins have come by at least 10 points.  The single-digit win was the second win of the year over Rider, a 64-59 victory.
 
Jaspers In February
The Purple Eagles have an 11-10 all-time record against the Jaspers in the month of February.  They are 3-2 in the last five meetings in the second month of the year.
 
Senior Day Part Deux
The Purple Eagles have one more home game after Sunday, but they will have their Senior Day ceremony before the game against Manhattan. 
   
They held senior day against the Jaspers last season and came away with a 56-44 win.  Lauren Gatto and Meghan McGuinness tied with 12 points and five rebounds.