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One For The Road
The Niagara Purple Eagles continue conference play on the road in Connecticut against the Fairfield Stags.

Niagara (6-6, 2-1 MAAC) is coming off an 80-66 decision against top-seeded MAAC opponent, Quinnipiac. With the loss, Niagara dropped its first conference match of the season. The difference of the game came in the first half. Quinnipiac scored 46 points in the first stanza, the most the Purple Eagles have allowed in any half this season. The 80 points is also the most points Niagara has given up since its opening game against YSU.

On the road, the Purple Eagles are scoring 64.0 points per game and pulling down 45.0 rebounds per contest, a 2.2 rpg improvement over its season average. Val McQuade is averaging 12.0 ppg over the first six road games while shooting 41.7 percent from beyond the arc (15-for-36).

The Stags (2-9, 1-1 MAAC) are currently on a four-game losing streak and most recently dropped a match to La Salle, 73-59. Fairfield, who was picked to finish fourth just six points ahead of NU in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, opened conference play with a victory over Siena and a loss against Quinnipiac. The Stags hold a 1-2 home record and a 1-7 record away from Alumni Hall.

Fairfield has won 14 of the last 16 meetings between the two teams, including both games last season. The last time Niagara beat Fairfield at home was in 2010 at Webster Bank Arena.
 
How To Tune In

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

 
On The Court
Fairfield Stags (2-9, 1-1 MAAC)

• The Stags are led by Joe Frager who is in his 8th year as head coach at Fairfield.
• Junior guard Kristin Schatzlein is Fairfield's top scorer, averaging 14.8 points, and pulls down 3.6 rebounds per game.
• Sophomore forward Casey Smith also averages double-figures for the Stags. Smith scores 12.5 points per contest and averages 4.9 rebounds per game.
• Freshman forward Samantha Cooper leads the team with 6.1 rebounds per game while also contributing 7.6 points per outing.

 
Against the Stags (Fairfield leads 35-18)

• Sunday's game will be the 53rd time these teams face each other. The Stags hold a 35-18 advantage in the series between the two teams.

 
Tipoff Tidbits

• Niagara's offense is led by senior guard Meghan McGuinness, who averages 11.6 points per game.
• McGuinness has scored at least 10 points six of the last seven games.
• Sunday will mark the 13th game of the season for the Purple Eagles and their seventh contest on the road.
• NU has a 4.9 rebounding margin against its opponents which is good for second in the MAAC.
• The Purple and White are coming off a 80-66 loss against Quinnipiac on Jan. 2.

 
A Win On Sunday Would...

• Give Niagara its first win at Fairfield since 2010.
• Boost Niagara's record over .500, 7-6 overall.
• Give NU seven wins through its first 13 games for the first time under head coach Kendra Faustin.

 
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.

 
Top Of The MAAC (as of Jan. 3)

• The Purple Eagles have four players in the top-25 in the MAAC in points per game.

• Meghan McGuinness is ranked 15th with 11.6 ppg while Val McQuade sits in the 18th spot with 10.6 ppg.
• Victoria Rampado is 20th in the conference with 10.5 points per game while Sylvia Maxwell is 24th with 9.5.
• Kelly Van Leeuwen ranks first in the conference with a 3.5 assist/turnover ratio.
• The Purple Eagles are second in the MAAC in scoring defense, allowing just 62.4 points per game.
• As a team, Niagara has the best scoring margin within the conference (4.2) and the second best rebound margin (4.9). The Purple Eagles rank third in 3-point field goal percentage (34.9 percent/ 82-for-235) and fourth in free throw percentage (69.4 percent/ 120-for-173).
• NU is also third in the conference with a 1.0 assist/turnover ratio. NU also ranks third in offensive rebounds (14.2 per game) and second in defensive rebounds (28.7 per game).