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The Niagara Purple Eagles will host the Monmouth Hawks on Friday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. for their first home contest of the 2014 schedule.

Niagara dropped its first two games of 2014 on the road at Rider on Jan. 2 and at Iona on Jan. 4. The Purple Eagles, who are 3-2 at the Gallagher Center this season, will look for their third straight victory at home after dispatching Saint Peter's on Dec. 8 and Brown on Dec. 29.

This will be the second all-time meeting between Niagara and Monmouth and the first as conference opponents, as the Hawks are in their maiden season in the MAAC. The only previous meeting occurred on Nov. 28, 2008 when Niagara used a stingy defense performance en route to a 71-48 win in Philadelphia.

Tipoff Tidbits
• Ramone Snowden set career-highs in points (23), field goals (nine), 3-pointers (four) and steals (three) at Iona on Jan. 4. Snowden scored all 23 points in the second half and led the game with three steals.
• Antoine Mason was named College Hoops Daily's MAAC Player of the 2013 Non-Conference Year.
• Marcus Ware played four seasons at Monmouth (2009-13) where he averaged 6.7 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game in 85 appearances.
• Ware played in a season-high 30 minutes at Iona. He finished with his fifth double-digit scoring game of the season with 10 points and added five rebounds.
• Joe Thomas is averaging 2.4 blocks per game in the last seven contests. He is third in the MAAC with 3.0 blocks per game in conference games only.

Top Gun
•  Antoine Mason is LEADING the nation in scoring at 28.7 points per game.
• Mason LEADS the nation in field goals attempts (292), free throws made (140), free throw attempts (186) and is SECOND in field goals made (134).
• Mason accounts for 36 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.
• He LEADS the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (8.9).

Scoring Machine
•  Antoine Mason has 19 straight games in double figures.
• His career-high 39 points versus Brown are tied for the 11th 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 14 of 15 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).

How to Tune In
• Friday's game will be broadcast by Lockport Community Television (LCTV).
• Fans can listen live to all the action from "The Voice of the Purple Eagles" Todd Callen on WWWS 1400 AM and free online through Purple Eagles All-Access.

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 78 points away from moving ahead of Al Butler ('71) for 11th all-time.  

Mason Named College Hoop Daily's MAAC POY of the Non-Conference Season
• Antoine Mason was one of five players named to the CHD's All-MAAC Non-Conference team and was tabbed as player of the non-conference season.
• Mason averaged 29.5 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free-throw line, and averaged 4.2 rebounds per game in 11 non-conference games.
• Mason was also named CHD's MAAC November Player of the Year.

Scaffdi Bobblehead Day
• Niagara University will recognize NU Hall of Famer Phil Scaffidi with a bobblehead day on Jan. 12. The first 1,200 fans in attendance will receive a Scaffidi bobblehead.
• Scaffidi played at Niagara from 1975-80 and has his No. 3 jersey retired.
• Scaffidi missed time during the 1978-79 season when he was diagnosed with cancer. He returned for six games during the 1979-80 season and set then-Niagara all-time assist record.
• The U.S. Basketball Writers Association honored with the 1979-80 Most Courageous Award. He passed on March 23, 1980, ending a 15-month fight against cancer.

On The Court
Monmouth Hawks (7-8, 1-3 MAAC)
• Monmouth is 7-8 on the season and have won four of its last six games.
• The Hawks are led in scoring by junior guard Deon Jones at 16.0 ppg while also averaging 6.5 rebounds per game. Backcourt teammate Andrew Nicholas is the only other Hawk in double-digit scoring at 13.7 ppg.
•  MU, which is making its debut in the MAAC this season, has one conference win on the season (Siena).

Against The Hawks (Niagara leads, 1-0)
• Niagara defeated Monmouth, 71-48, in the only meeting between the programs on Nov. 28, 2008 as part of the Philly Hoop Group Classic.
• RJ Rutledge, who is Niagara's director of basketball operations, started in the game for Monmouth. Rutledge finished with seven points, two rebounds and two steals in 27 minutes.
• This will be the first-ever meeting between the programs as MAAC opponents.

Last Meeting - November 28, 2008
Monmouth 48, Niagara 71

PHILADELPHIA - The Niagara men's basketball team used a stingy defense inside the historic Palestra to defeat Monmouth, 71-48, in the Philly Hoop Group Classic. The Purple Eagles used a 21-1 run midway through the first half to pull away from the Hawks.

Familiar Faces
• Marcus Ware played four seasons at Monmouth where he averaged 6.7 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game in 85 appearances.
• Ware was named to the 2010-11 Northeast Conference All-Rookie Team.
• The current director of basketball operations RJ Rutledge played four seasons at Monmouth (2007-11). He averaged 5.9 points per game in 101 appearances.