The Niagara Purple Eagles wrap up their 2015-16 home schedule on Saturday, February 20 against the Fairfield Stags at 3 p.m.
 
Scene Setter
•  NU has won five of the last seven meetings, but was edged by the Stags in the first meeting this season, 73-68, on January 15 in a contest that featured 11 lead changes, eight ties, and was decided in to the final minute.
•  The teams have split the last eight meetings at the Gallagher Center with the Purple Eagles winning last season, 57-56, on March 1 to close out the regular season schedule. 
•  The Purple Eagles haven't been swept in the series since the 2011-12 season.
•  Saturday's meeting features two pairs of scorers that are in the MAAC top-10 in overall scoring: Matt Scott (eighth) and Emile Blackman (10th) for Niagara and Marcus Gilbert (fourth) and Tyler Nelson (seventh) for Fairfield.
 
Tipoff Tidbits
•  The Purple Eagles halted a five-game skid with a 76-72 win over the Marist Red Foxes on Friday, February 18.
•  Five Purple Eagles (Emile Blackman – 21, Dominic Robb – 13, Cameron Fowler – 12, Matt Scott – 12, Maurice Taylor Jr. – 10) scored in double figures for the first time since February 24, 2015 when NU defeated Canisius, 82-71.
•  Dominic Robb recorded his first career double-double with a 13 points and team and career-high 10 rebounds against Marist on February 18. Robb joins Matt Scott (six) and Justin Satchell as Purple Eagles with a double-double this season.
•  The Purple Eagles are 8-2 in their last 10 home regular season finales, including winning seven straight from 2007-13.
 
Blackman Approaching 1,000 Career Points
•  Emile Blackman needs four points to reach 1,000 points in his career.
•  Blackman scored 170 of his 996 career points while playing at NCAA Division II LIU Post during the 2012-13 season.
 
Feelin' It
•  Emile Blackman has made 17 of his last 18 free throws which is a stretch of six games.
•  Blackman has scored in double figures in 11 straight games, including tying a season-high of 23 points against Siena on January 26 and scored 21 points in consecutive outings for a game-high at Rider (February 14) and versus Marist (February 18).

On The Court
Fairfield Stags (16-11; 10-7 MAAC)
•  Fairfield is 7-3 in its last 10 games and takes a four-game winning streak into Monteagle Ridge, its longest since reeling off six consecutive during the 2012-13 season.
•  The Stags produced a conference high 113 points in a game versus UMESM on Nov. 24 and are second in the MAAC with a .450 field goal percentage and 15.9 assists per game.
•  Marcus Gilbert is fourth in the MAAC with 17.6 points per game and Tyler Nelson is a close seventh with 15.9 points per game.
 
Against the Stags (Niagara leads, 40-28)
•  Niagara is 6-4 in its last 10 home games vs Fairfield.
•  Niagara's 40 all-time victories over Fairfield are its fourth most against any MAAC school.
•  Since the 2011-12 season, neither team has won by more than eight points.
 
Last Meeting – January 15, 2016
Niagara 69, Fairfield 73
 
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The Niagara Purple Eagles had their two-game win streak snapped in a 73-68 defeat to the Fairfield Stags on Friday.
 

 
Leading Man
• Matt Scott has led or has shared team-high honors in at least one category (points, rebounds, assists, steals or blocks) in 22 games this season.
• Scott has led NU in scoring and in rebounding in the same game 10 times this season.
• Scott leads the team in scoring, rebounds, steals, field goals, free throws and minutes.
 
The Sixth Sense
•  Matt Scott recorded his sixth double-double of the season and of his career on February 5 against Rider with 16 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
•  His six double-doubles are third most in the MAAC this season. 
•  The six double-doubles are the most by a Purple Eagle since Bilal Benn had 13 during the 2009-10 season.
 
February Frenzy
• Niagara is 43-32 in the month of February since the 2006-07 season.
• The Purple Eagles are 25-14 at home during that stretch.
• NU finished with an overall record of .500 or better in seven of the last nine seasons.