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New Year, Same Focus
The Niagara Purple Eagles resume conference play and open up the New Year on the road against the Quinnipiac Bobcats.

Niagara (6-5, 2-0 MAAC) dominated from start to finish in the team's most recent win over Mount St. Mary's. On offense NU worked the interior scoring 28 points in the paint, compared to 16 for the Mountaineers, and shot an impressive 55.4 percent from the floor with a 35.0 shooting percentage from three-point range. It also outrebounded its opponent for the seventh time this season as Niagara pulled down 36 boards to Mount's 28.

On the road, the Purple Eagles are scoring 63.6 points per game and pulling down 44.6 rebounds per contest, a 2.1 rpg improvement over its season average. Sylvia Maxwell is averaging 13.0 ppg over the first five road games while shooting 42.6 percent from the field (20-for-47).

The Bobcats (10-3, 2-0 MAAC) most recently dropped a match to Florida Gulf Coast after going on a seven-game winning streak. Quinnipiac, who was picked to finish tied for first in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, opened conference play with victories over Siena and Fairfield. The Bobcats hold a perfect home record of 5-0 and a 5-3 record away from the TD Bank Sports Center.

Quinnipiac swept last season's series in the team's first two meetings ever as the Purple Eagles dropped an 84-61 decision on the road and a 93-78 contest at home.
 
How To Tune In

• Purple Eagle fans can follow all of Friday's action via PurpleEagles.com.  Live stats will be provided as will links to an audio feed and a video feed (both provided through Quinnipiac)

 
On The Court
Quinnipiac Bobcats (10-3, 2-0 MAAC)

• The Bobcats are led by Tricia Fabbri who is in her 20th year as head coach at Quinnipiac.
• Senior guard Jasmine Martin is Quinnipiac's top scorer, averaging 12.6 points, and pulls down 2.8 rebounds per game
• Senior forward Samantha Guastella also averages double-figures for the Bobcats. Guastella scores 12.2 points per contest and averages 2.8 rebounds per game.
• Graduate student and center Val Driscoll leads the team with 7.1 rebounds per game while also contributing 11.4 points per outing.

 
Against the Bobcats (Quinnipiac leads 2-0)

• Friday's game will be the third time these teams face each other. Quinnipiac joined the MAAC in the summer of 2013.

 
Tipoff Tidbits

• Niagara's offense is led by senior guard Meghan McGuinness, who averages 12.2 points per game.
• McGuinness has scored at least 10 points in the last six games. It is the longest double-figures streak by a Purple Eagle this season.
• Friday will mark the 12th game of the season for the Purple Eagles and their sixth contest on the road.
• NU has a 4.5 rebounding margin against its opponents which is good for second in the MAAC.
• The Purple and White are coming off a 78-60 victory over Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 30.

 
A Win On Friday Would...

• Give Niagara its first win over Quinnipiac.
• Boost Niagara to a .500, 3-3 record on the road.
• Give NU seven wins through its first 12 games for the first time under head coach Kendra Faustin.

 
Ringing In The New Year

• Niagara is 15-23 all-time in games to start a calendar year.
• NU has split the last two games to start the New Year. NU opened 2014 with a 78-46 victory over Saint Peter's after dropping the game against Iona 76-65 that opened 2013.
• Recently, the most successful stretch came among the 2000-05 seasons when the team went 4-1.

20-20

• In the Dec. 30 win over Mount St. Mary's, senior Meghan McGuinness and sophomore Victoria Rampado posted 22 and 20 points, respectively.
• It was the first time this season two players have posted 20-plus scoring efforts in the same game for the Purple Eagles.
• The last time Niagara had two players score in the twenties was on Feb. 22 vs. Monmouth when McGuinness and Rampado both scored 20.

 
Breaking Records

• On Dec. 30, McGuinness went 5-for-9 from beyond the arc marking her 223rd career 3-pointer which ties her in second for the all-time record. Sheryl Klick who played for Niagara from 1996-00 has also scored 223 career three pointers.
• Also on Dec. 30, Kelly Van Leeuwen had six assists for NU which marked her 283rd career assist and broke her into the top-10 for the all-time assist record at Niagara.