Game Notes | ESPN3 | Live Audio | Live Stats

The Niagara Purple Eagles venture back on the road with a contest against the Siena Saints on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN3.

The Purple Eagles got back into the win column with an 80-74 victory over the Marist Red Foxes on Friday at the Gallagher Center.  With the score tied at 56-56 with 7:47 remaining, Niagara pulled away from Marist with a 14-5 run en route to outscoring an opponent in the second half for the ninth time this season.

The Purple Eagles fell to the Saints in the conference opener on Dec. 6 to end their four-game winning streak in the series. Niagara broke its eight-game losing streak at Siena last season with a 78-69 win on Jan. 25. The Purple Eagles are seeking consecutive wins against the Saints in their home arena since winning three straight from 2003-05, which includes the 2004 MAAC Tournament Semifinals.
 
Tipoff Tidbits
• Antoine Mason moved into eighth all-time in career scoring at Niagara on Jan. 24 after netting a team-high 22 points vs. Marist.
• Marvin Jordan set a personal-best in field goal percent when he went 7-for-10 from the field, including 4-for-6 from behind the arc, against Marist on Jan. 24. The 70 percent field goal percentage is tied for a season-high with a minimum of seven field goals made.
• Marcus Ware made a career-best 10 free throws out of 13 attempts in Niagara's win over Marist on Jan. 24. Ware also led Niagara in steals with two.
• Wesley Myers played in a career-high 40 minutes and had a career-best four assists in his first career start at Canisius on Jan. 22.
 
How To Tune In
•    Thursday's game will air live on ESPN3 with Doug Sherman and Rob Kennedy on the call.
•    Fans can listen live to all of the action from "The Voice of the Purple Eagles" Todd Callen on ESPN 1520 AM and free online through Purple Eagles All-Access.
 
Top Gun
•    Antoine Mason is LEADING the nation in scoring at 27.4 points per game.
•    Mason LEADS the nation in free throws made (186) and free throw attempts (251), and is SECOND in field goals made (177) and in field goals attempts (393)
•    Mason accounts for 35 percent of Niagara points which LEADS the country.
•    He holds the highest scoring game in the MAAC this season (career-high 39 vs. Brown).
•    He LEADS the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (8.7).
 
Scoring Machine
•    Antoine Mason has 25 straight games in double figures.
•    His career-high 39 points versus Brown are tied for the 12th most in NCAA Division I this season.
•    Mason has nine 30-point games this season, including a stretch of five straight (Nov. 21-30).
•   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 19 of 21 games this season.
•   Mason has scored at least 20 points in a half eight times this season, including six times in the second half (five straight from 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 eighth and is 20 points away from moving ahead of Ed Fleming ('55) for seventh all-time.  
 
On The Court
Siena Saints (9-12, 5-5 MAAC)
•  The Saints have won their last two games with victories over Saint Peter's and Fairfield.
•  Junior Rob Poole is the Saints leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 15.1 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game.
•  Freshman guard Marquis Wright is leading the MAAC with 5.5 assists per game and 2.0 steals per game.
•  Siena is second in the MAAC in assists per game with 13.3 and also second in offensive rebounding with 14.6 per game.
 
Against The Saints (Niagara leads 46-44)
•  Niagara has won six of the last nine meetings, including winning all three meetings last season. However, Niagara's four-game winning streak in the series was snapped on Dec. 6, 2013.
•  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.
 
Last Meeting - December 6, 2013
Siena 84, Niagara 71
 
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - The Niagara Purple Eagles opened their MAAC schedule with an 84-71 setback to the Siena Saints on Friday at the Gallagher Center.