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Weathering The Storm
The Niagara Purple Eagles will look to get their fi rst win of the season on Saturday afternoon against the University of Buffalo Bulls at 2:00 p.m. at Alumni Arena.

This year's game includes a UB team looking to get back in the win column and a NU squad looking to snap a nine-game losing streak to UB.

Niagara (0-2) heads into Saturday after a long trek home from Pittsburgh. The Purple Eagles dropped their first two games this season falling to YSU and Pitt. NU shot at a 41.3 percent clip against Youngstown and a 41.2 percent success rate from beyond the arc against Pittsburgh.

Buffalo (1-1) opened the season with a loss to the Siena Saints who is a fellow member of the MAAC. The Bulls were held scoreless over the final five minutes of play, while the Saints pieced together a 15-0 streak to seal a 58-50 victory. UB secured its first victory (88-80) this season against Saint Francis on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

The last time NU topped UB was a 69-65 overtime win on Dec. 11, 2004. Val McQuade became the first player since 2006 to score over 30 points in last season's game against the Bulls with a 31-point effort in 78-70 loss in the Gallagher Center.

How To Tune In

• ESPN3
• Fans can follow all of Saturday's action via Live Stats that can be found online at PurpleEagles.com. (provided through Buffalo)

 
On The Court
Buffalo Bulls (1-1, 0-0 MAC)

• The Bulls are led by Felisha Legette-Jack who is in her 3rd year as head coach at UB.
• Buffalo was picked to win the Mid-American Conference East Division.
• UB returns junior guard Mackenzie Loesing who finished the 2013-14 season averaging a career-best 16.3 points and 2.0 steals per game.
• Senior forward, Kristen Sharkey is back for her final year as she averaged 14.7 points per game and led UB with 8.7 rebounds per game a season ago.

 
Against the Bulls (Niagara leads 18-15)

• Niagara greatest run of success came when it won 14-straight games from 1976 to 1993. Buffalo has had the upper-hand recently, winning the last nine meetings.

 
Against the MAC

• Niagara has played eight of the 12 teams that make up the modern day MAC with cross town rival Buffalo accounting for 33 of those matchups.
• Six teams (BGSU, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Akron, Kent State, and Buffalo) have played NU since 2010.

 
Staff Updates

• Corinne Jones has recently been promoted to Associated Head for the Purple Eagles.
• Former Niagara women's basketball player, Erika Harris joins the NU staff as an assistant coach.
• Rene'e Polka begins her first season as the team's Director of Basketball operations and her fifth with the program overall. She spent three seasons as the team's manager before serving as the team's graduate assistant last season.

 
Taking the Lead

• The Purple Eagles have six seniors to lead the 2014-15 squad.
• The rest of the team is made up of three juniors, three sophomores, and three freshmen.
• This is the first time since the 2011-12 season the team has had more than one senior on the team.