Notes | Video | Audio | Stats

Game 13
Niagara Purple Eagles (6-6, 0-0 MAAC) vs. Cornell Big Red (5-4, 0-0 Ivy League)
Saturday, December 23 – 1:00 PM
Newman Arena – Cornell University
Broadcast: Ivy League Network – Barry Leonard and Eric Taylor
Radio: WGR 550 AM – Todd Callen
Internet: Niagara Sports Network
 
Winners of three of their last four, the Niagara Purple Eagles wrap up their non-conference slate at the Cornell Big Red on Saturday, December 23 at 1 p.m.
 
Scene Setter
•  Niagara has won its last two games with each game coming down to the final possession.
•  Matt Scott's last second 3-pointer capped a frantic second half rally as the Purple Eagles defeated the Norfolk State Spartans, 85-82, on December 16.
•  Marvin Prochet had a block and game-sealing steal in the final seconds to preserve a 79-77 win over Cleveland State on December 19.
•  Niagara's 6-6 start is its best through 12 games since 2009-10 season (8-4) which is also the last time the Purple Eagles finished their non-conference schedule .500 or better record.
•  The Purple Eagles are in search of their first three-game winning streak since closing out the 2014-15 regular season with four straight wins which was also the last time Niagara won three straight road games (won last two road games entering Saturday's game).
•  The Purple Eagles, who are 3-1 in December, are in search of their best December start since going 4-1 through five games in December 2009.
 
Tipoff Tidbits
•  For the third time this season, Matt Scott was named MAAC Player of the Week announced on Monday. This is the fourth consecutive week a Purple Eagle has been named conference player of the week.
•  Matt Scott, who is FOURTH in the nation in scoring, led all scorers with a career-high 36 points at BYU. The 36 points are the most points by a Purple Eagle since Antoine Mason's 38 points against Marist on March 6, 2014.
•  Matt Scott is 13th on the career scoring list and is 136 points away from tying Al Butler ('61) for 12th.
•  Kahlil Dukes is FIRST in the conference in free throw percentage (.902) and is is FOURTH in the NCAA in career active free throw percentage (.908).
•  Kahlil Dukes' career-high eight 3-pointers at New Hampshire are the most in the MAAC and tied for seventh most in the NCAA this season.
•  Marvin Prochet is averaging 12.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg in the last two games. Prochet leads the conference in rebounds per game (7.5).
 
It Takes Two
•  Matt Scott (24.0) and Kahlil Dukes (21.4) are the top scoring pair in the nation. Scott and Dukes are first and second, respectively, in scoring in the MAAC through 12 games. The duo is accounting for 55 percent of Niagara's scoring.
•  The duo is the only pair in the NCAA to have nine 20-point games this season, which leads the MAAC and is tied for fifth in the NCAA.
•  The tandem has scored 20-plus points in the same game six times this season.

On The Court
Cornell Big Red (5-4, 0-0 Ivy League)
•  Cornell enters Saturday's game winners of four of its last five, including two straight.
•  Two Big Red are averaging in double figures – junior guard Matt Morgan (23.4 ppg) and junior forward Stone Gettings (12.2 ppg).
•  Leading scorer Matt Morgan, who is eighth in the NCAA in scoring, has posted double figures in 32 consecutive games and has eight consecutive 20-point games.
•  Junior forward Steve Julian leads the Ivy League in rebounds per game (7.3) and blocks per game (1.5).
•  Cornell is 3-0 at home this and has won five of its last six home games.
 
Against The Big Red (Cornell leads 27-20)
•  The series with Cornell started during the 1908-09 season, but this will be the first meeting between the programs since January 1993.
•  From 1983-1993, the Purple Eagles won four out of five meetings.
•  Cornell has won 24 of the 35 meetings in Ithaca, New York.
 
Last Meeting - January 9, 1993
Niagara 80, Cornell 66
 

The Series	Cornell leads 27-20
Last Game	January 9, 1993
	Niagara 80, Cornell 66
Last Niagara win	January 9, 1993
	Niagara 80, Cornell 66
Last Cornell win	January 6, 1986
	Cornell 72, Niagara 59
Last Niagara win at Cornell	December 7, 1991
	Niagara 71, Cornell 70
Last Cornell win at Home	January 6, 1986
	Cornell 72, Niagara 59
Current Streak	Niagara, W2
Coach Casey vs. Cornell	First Meeting

 
Against The Ivy League
•  Niagara is 28-34 all-time against the Ivy League and has played every team except Harvard.
•  Niagara has played Cornell the most (47).
•  This will be the second straight season playing against an Ivy team (Brown).
 
Three Time's A  Charm
•  For the third time this season, Matt Scott was named MAAC Player of the Week announced on December 18.
•  Scott scored the game-winning basket to complete a comeback victory at Norfolk State on December 16 in Niagara's lone game of the week. Scott connected on a 3-pointer, his team-best fourth of the game, with 0.5 seconds remaining to give Niagara an 85-82 win in a game that the Purple Eagles trailed by 18 points in the second half.
•  Scott finished with a game-high 20 points for his ninth straight 20-point game.  He chipped in four rebounds, two assists and one steal in 31 minutes.