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Game 28
Niagara Purple Eagles (9-18, 6-10 MAAC) vs. Monmouth Hawks (22-5, 14-2 MAAC)
Thursday, February 16 – 8:00 PM
Location: OceanFirst Bank Center
Broadcast: ESPN 3 – Doug Sherman and Rob Kennedy
Radio: AM 1400 WWWS – Todd Callen
 
   The Niagara Purple Eagles visit first-place Monmouth on Thursday, February 16 at 8 p.m. to start their final road trip of the season.
 
Scene Setter
•  The Purple Eagles had a chance to trim Monmouth's lead to two points twice in the final 20 seconds before falling 90-83 in the first meeting of the season on January 14 at the Gallagher Center.
•  Niagara connected on a season-high 15 3-pointers for the most 3-pointers since making 16 at Oregon State to open the 2012-13 season. Khalil Dukes went 7-for-10 from the 3-point line, which are tied for the most by a junior in program history and are tied for fourth most in program history.
•  In last season's meeting at Monmouth, Niagara shot 90.3 percent (28-for-31) from the free-throw line for a season-high.
 
Tipoff Tidbits
•  Matt Scott scored a career-high 34 points to lead all scorers in Niagara's meeting with Iona on February 12.  Scott also set a season-high with 11 field goals made and a career-high with six 3-pointers made. Scott has four 30-point games in his career, including two this season which are tied for the most in the MAAC this season. His 34 points are the most by a Purple Eagle in four seasons.
•  Dominic Robb leads the MAAC and is 19th in the nation in blocks per game (2.52) and is first in the MAAC and is 12th in the nation in total blocks (68). Robb set the sophomore single-season record, which was held by Joe Arlauckas who had 66 during the 1984-85 season. Robb passed Arlauckas for second place on the single-season list and is four behind the single-season record holder Mark Henry.
•  Kahlil Dukes is THIRD in the nation in free-throw percentage (.929). Dukes, who has had streaks of 20 and 17 consecutive made free throws, had a career-high 12 free throws at Quinnipiac on February 4.
•  In Niagara's win over Canisius on February 10, the Purple Eagles shot 78.6 percent (22-for-28) from the field in the second half and made 8 of 9 from 3-pointers, including making their first seven of the half, en route to dropping 55 second half points. Niagara finished with a season-high 36 field goals made and had its second highest point total (94), field goal percentage (.581), assists (19) and steals (7) of the season.
•  Kahlil Dukes has had at least four assists in 10 straight games, including tying a career-high nine assists against Canisius, while leading NU in assists in nine straight games.
•  Niagara leads the MAAC and is 25th in the nation in blocked shots per game (5.2) and leads the MAAC and is tied for 14th in the nation in total blocks (141).  The Purple Eagles are on pace of setting the program record in blocks in a single season (155).
 
On The Court
Monmouth Hawks (22-5, 14-2 MAAC)
•  The Monmouth Hawks are in first place in the MAAC with a 14-2 conference record.
•  The Hawks are on a program-best 12-game win streak.
•  Monmouth leads the conference in scoring (80.7 ppg), scoring margin (+7.3), steals per game (7.3), turnover margin (+2.6) and field goal percentage defense (.406).
•  Three Hawks are averaging double figures scoring - Justin Robinson (19.6 ppg), Micah Seaborn (14.4 ppg) and Je'lon Hornbeak (11.0 ppg).       
•  Justin Robinson leads the MAAC in scoring at 19.6 points per game, including scoring a career-high 40 points in Monmouth's last game.
 
Against the Hawks (Monmouth leads 7-1)
•  The first meeting between the two programs was during the 2008-09 season, which Niagara won 71-48 in the Philly Hoop Group Classic in Philadelphia.
•  The Purple Eagles have lost all seven meetings since the Hawks joined the MAAC at the start of the 2013-14 season.
 
Last Meeting – January 14, 2017
Monmouth 90, Niagara 83
 
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Five Purple Eagles scored in double figures, led by Kahlil Dukes' career-high 27 points, but a late push by the Purple Eagles fell short as they lost to the Monmouth Hawks, 90-83, on Saturday night.
 

The Series	Monmouth leads 7-1
Last Game	January 14, 2017
	Monmouth 90, Niagara 83
Last Niagara win	November 28, 2008
	Niagara 71, Monmouth 48
Last Monmouth win	January 14, 2017
	Monmouth 90, Niagara 83
Last Niagara win at Monmouth	Never
Last Monmouth win at Home	February 28, 2016
	Monmouth 77, Niagara 68
Current streak	Monmouth, W7

 
Scott Named MAAC Player Of The Week
•  Matt Scott was named MAAC Player of the Week on January 30 for the second time in his career and is the first Purple Eagle to win the weekly award this season.
•  Scott averaged 18.7 points per game, 9.7 rebounds per game and 3.0 assists per game as the Purple Eagles went 2-1 in three games.
•  Scott, who scored at least 18 points in each game, led all scorers in two of the three games while also collecting double-doubles in two games.
•  Scott averaged 56 percent from the field, 50 percent from 3-pointers and 82.4 percent from the free-throw line in the three games.
 
Swat King
•  Sophomore Dominic Robb is in the running of becoming the single season leader in blocks and blocks per game.
•  The single-season record for blocks and blocks per game was set by Mark Henry who had 72 blocks and 2.40 blocks per game during the 1987-88 season.
•  Robb has already surpassed his freshman season's total of 34 blocks.
•  Robb, who has a MAAC-best 68 blocks and is averaging 2.58 blocks per game, has had at least one block in 25 games this season.
•  The previous record for most blocks by a sophomore is 66 held by Joe Arlauckas during the 1984-85 season.