After a first-round bye, the Purple Eagles will face the Rider Broncs in the MAAC Tournament Quarterfinals at the MassMutual Center on Friday.
   
The MAAC Tournament returns to Springfield, Mass. where the Purple Eagles (14-15, 9-9 MAAC) enter the tournament as a fifth seed for the second-consecutive year, and third out of four.  Last season, NU topped Loyola 77-63 to advance to the semifinals.  In 2010, it was a 66-54 win over Manhattan that sent the Purple Eagles to the semifinals.  Both times they ran into a Marist team that went on to win the tournament.
   
This season the Broncs (15-14, 10-8 MAAC) are the quarterfinal matchup.  NU is on a three-game winning streak against the Broncs after winning the last game of the series in 2011-12 before sweeping the series this season.
 
How to Tune In
Fans can tune into the game on Purple Eagles All-Access with announcers Todd Callen and Bob Vail.  Live stats will also be provided on PurpleEagles.com.
 
Last Time Out
Despite more than doubling their offensive output in the second half, the Purple Eagles fell in their regular season finale 61-52 to the Manhattan Jaspers on Sunday afternoon.
  
Four times throughout the second half, the Purple Eagles (14-15, 9-9 MAAC) cut the deficit to six points after the Japsers (7-22, 4-14 MAAC) built a lead as high as 15 points after halftime.  With 8:01 left and trailing 48-34, NU went on an 8-0 run that was capped by a layup with an and-one from Val McQuade to bring the score to 48-42.
  
Manhattan was able to build their lead back to double-digits but baskets from Shy Britton and Lauren Gatto book-ended a pair of steals by Meghan McGuinness to bring the Purple Eagles back within six, 52-46, with just under three minutes left.  McGuinness finished with a career-high three steals.
 
Both teams finished the half with 36 points, but the Purple Eagles weren’t able to get within more than five as the Jaspers won 61-52.
 
On The Court: Rider Broncs (15-14, 10-8 MAAC)
The Broncs enter the conference tournament as winners of three of their last five games.  They defeated Loyola (56-41), Saint Peter’s (73-58), and Siena (72-52).  The losses came to #1 seed Marist (69-44) and in the final game of the year against Iona (76-63).
  
MyNeshia McKenzie led the team with 13.9 ppg through 29 regular season games.  Against MAAC opponents, she averaged 14.7 ppg, which landed her fourth in the conference (one spot behind Lauren Gatto’s 14.9 ppg).  She is also the team’s leading rebounder with 9.7 rpg.  Sironda Chambers is second in points with 12.9 ppg and Caitlin Bopp is second with 9.0 rpg.
 
Against the Broncs (Niagara leads 21-15)
The Purple Eagles swept the series this season, winning the first game at home, 62-58, and the tilt on the road 64-59.  They split the series last year but Niagara won the last meeting and now finds itself with a three-game winning streak against the Broncs.
 
Facing The Broncs In The Tournament
The Purple Eagles have faced the Broncs in the MAAC Tournament only twice in the 23 years NU has been in the conference.  Niagara is 2-0 in those games, winning the first matchup on March 4, 2005 69-46 and the second on March 5, 2009 by a 76-71 decision.
 
Skid Snapper
 Niagara swept this season’s series against the Broncs.  The 64-59 win in Lawrenceville, N.J. was the team’s first since January 18, 2010.
 
Advancing In The Tournament
The Purple Eagles have played in 23 MAAC Tournaments heading into this year’s event.  They have advanced a round a total of eight times.  Six of those times have come in the last 10 season, making it the most successful decade at the MAAC Tournament.
 
Playing For A Championship
The Purple Eagles finished the 1996-97 with a 9-20 overall record with a 4-10 record in conference.  Despite the lackluster showing in the regular season, the Purple Eagles defeated Fairfield 79-70 and Siena 81-64 on their way to the program’s only appearance in the MAAC Championship game.  They lost in the final game to Saint Peter’s 66-38.
 
First Team All-MAAC
Center Lauren Gatto was named to the First Team All-MAAC last week for her performance throughout the 2012-13 season.  It was the 12th season that the Purple Eagles had someone named to the First Team and Gatto is the 10th player to earn the honor. 
 
Historically Stingy Defense
The Purple Eagles have held opponents to 51 points or less the three-consecutive games against Fairfield, Manhattan, and Canisius.  While they have come close a few times before, the last time they accomplished this feat was when Jimmy Carter was in the White House and a year before Bruce Sprinsgteen’s “The River” hit the record store shelves.
   
You have to go all the way back to the 1979-80 season when Niagara did it in the first seven games of a 12-game winning streak.  This is the first time they have held opponents under 51 points in three-consecutive games in the shot clock era.