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The Niagara Purple Eagles will face the Iona Gaels on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. in a rematch of last season's MAAC Tournament Semifinals.

Niagara (4-10, 1-2 MAAC) and Iona (5-6, 2-0 MAAC) met three times last season with each team protecting home court. The rubber match went in favor of the Gaels who defeated top-seeded Niagara in the MAAC Tournament Semifinals on their way to claiming the championship.

Niagara began 2014 with an 85-83 defeat at Rider on Thursday. The Purple Eagles, who trailed by 10 points with three minutes remaining, cut the lead to one point with six seconds on the clock before falling short in the comeback attempt. Antoine Mason led the game with 31 points, his ninth 30-plus scoring output of the season, with 23 coming in the second half including a stretch of 15 straight points.

Tipoff Tidbits
• Antoine Mason was named MAAC Co-Player of the Week on Monday. Mason earned the weekly honor for the first time in his career on Nov. 18.
• Joe Thomas collected his first career double-double with a season-high 13 points and career-best 11 rebounds to go along with a game-high three blocks in NU's last game against Rider.
• NU went 7-2 in MAAC road games last season which tied the 2000-01 team for the best MAAC road record in program history. Niagara dropped its road opener on Thursday at Rider.
• Marvin Jordan is averaging 12.1 points per game, including a season-high 20 points against St. Bonaventure, in his last eight games. Jordan's season-and game-high five triples against Bonaventure were most by a Purple Eagle since Jordan made five against Oregon State in the season opener last season.

Top Gun
•  Antoine Mason is LEADING the nation in scoring at 29.2 points per game.
• Mason LEADS the nation in field goals attempts (274), free throws made (136), free throw attempts (181) and is SECOND in field goals made (125).
• Mason accounts for 37 percent of Niagara points which LEADS the country.
• He holds the three highest scoring games (career-high 39 vs. Brown, 35 vs. Western Carolina & Saint Peter's) in the MAAC this season.
• His 29.2 points per game has him on pace to finish in the top-4 in Niagara's single-season scoring average.

Scoring Machine
•  Antoine Mason has 18 straight games in double figures.
• His career-high 39 points versus Brown are tied for the 10th 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 13 of 14 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 12th and is 100 points away from moving ahead of Al Butler ('71) for 11th all-time.  

Mason Shares MAAC Player of the Week Honors
• Antoine Mason collected his second career MAAC Player of the Week award when he was named co-player of the week on Dec. 30.
• Mason scored a career-high 39 points as the Niagara Purple Eagles defeated the Brown Bears, 68-65, on Dec. 29.
• His 39 points are the most points by a Purple Eagle since Feb. 2008 (Charron Fisher, 41 points). His 39 points are tied for the 10th most by a Division I player this season.
• Mason, who scored 22 points in the first half, made a floater in the paint with 20 seconds left to give Niagara a 68-63 lead.
• Mason also set a career-high in steals with six as Niagara forced 16 steals en route to a season-high 25 turnovers forced.
• Mason finished shooting 11-for-25 from the field, 3-for-5 from behind the arc and 14-for-17 from the free-throw line in 36 minutes.

Getting Buckets
• Antoine Mason's career-high 39 points against Brown on Dec. 29 are the most by a Purple Eagle since Feb. 2008.
• Mason's 39 points are tied for 10th most in the nation this season.

Back On The Road
• Niagara will have its first road trip this weekend since losing at Arkansas State on Dec. 2 to complete a six-game road trip.
• All five December games were played in Western New York (4 at home, 1 neutral site game in Buffalo)
• Niagara is 0-6 in true road games this season.

On The Court
Iona Gaels (5-6, 2-0 MAAC)
• The Gaels have dropped their last four games as they will play their first home game since Dec. 14.
• Four players are averaging double figures: Sean Armand (21.6), A.J. English (15.6), David Laury (12.5), Tre Bowman (11.1).
•  Iona leads the MAAC in field goal percentage (47.5), assists per game (16.8), assist/turnover ratio (1.4) and 3-pointers per game (10.4).

Against The Gaels (Iona leads, 39-34)
• The Purple Eagles are 7-9 in the last 16 meetings against the Gaels.
• The teams met three times last season, with each team protecting home court. The rubber match went to Iona as it defeated top-seeded Niagara in the MAAC Tournament Semifinals on its way to claiming the tournament championship.
• Niagara has lost the last four trips to Iona.

Last Meeting - March 10, 2013
Iona 79, Niagara 73

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The No. 1 seed Niagara Purple Eagles had their run to a conference tournament championship come to an end in a 79-73 loss to fourth-seeded Iona in the 2013 MAAC Tournament Semifinals on Sunday at the MassMutual Center.

Post Connection
• Saturday's opposing coaches have a connection to Long Island Post.
• Iona's Tim Cluess served as the head coach from 2006-10, going 98-23 and making two NCAA Tournament appearances, before going to Iona.
• Chris Casey followed Cluess at Post where he coached from 2010-13, posting a 62-25 record and leading the Pioneers to back-to-back 20-win seasons, two East Coast Conference Championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances.