The Niagara Purple Eagles, winner of four of their last five games, return to the Gallagher Center to host the Norfolk State Spartans on Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
Scene Setter
•  Niagara is 4-1 in its last five games. The Purple Eagles had a three-game win streak from December 3-16 with wins at Pitt, and at home versus New Hampshire and Cornell.
•  After falling to Cleveland State on December 19, NU bounced back with a 78-66 victory at Army West Point on December 22 behind a season-high 51 second half points.
•  The Purple Eagles and Spartans will meet for the third straight season with the last two meetings coming down to the wire.
•  NU held off a late push by Norfolk State to edge the Spartans, 65-61 in December 2016. Matt Scott's last second 3-pointer capped a frantic second half rally as the Purple Eagles defeated the Spartans, 85-82, last December.
•  Niagara is 3-2 inside of the Gallagher Center and a win would give the Purple Eagles a winning home record in non-conference play for the fourth time in the last seven seasons.
 
Tipoff Tidbits
• On December 24, James Towns was named MAAC Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks. Towns led the Purple Eagles in points and assists as Niagara split a pair of road games. Towns averaged 18.5 points per game, 4.5 assists per game, and 5.0 rebounds per game.
•  Niagara has claimed four of the seven MAAC Player of the Week awards, including three straight. When was the last time a school had three straight MAAC Player of the Week award winners? It was the Purple Eagles last season who had FOUR straight MAAC Player of the Week winners from Nov. 27 to Dec. 18 with Matt Scott (3) and Kahlil Dukes (1).
•  Marvin Prochet became the 47th member of Niagara's 1,000-Point Club on December 16.
•  Dominic Robb moved into second place on the career blocks list after a four-block performance at Pitt. Robb is now 27 blocks away from tying Joe Arlauckas ('87) who finished his career with 220 blocks, for first place.
•  Dominic Robb leads the MAAC, is third in the nation in blocks per game (3.3) and is fifth in total blocks (37).   
•  Marvin Prochet collected his MAAC-leading sixth double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Cleveland State on December 19. Prochet, who is 14th in the nation in double-doubles, has six double-doubles in eight games. 
•  After scoring a total of nine points in 9 games, Marcus Hammond has scored 17 points in his last two games.
•  The Purple Eagles are the only team in the MAAC to have three players record a double-double (Marvin Prochet, Dominic Robb, Greg Kuakumensah) this season.
•  At 6-5, Niagara is the only MAAC team with a winning record.
•  The Purple Eagles are in search of their best record through 12 games since the 2009-10 season (8-4). 
 
On The Court
Norfolk State Spartans (5-9, 0-0 MEAC)
•  NSU, which was picked third in the MEAC Preseason Poll, is 1-4 in its last five games.
•  Nic Thomas leads the Spartans in scoring at 13.9 points per game.
•  Norfolk State leads the MEAC in blocks per game (4.9), in total blocks (69), and in field goal percentage defense (.418). The Spartans are seventh in the nation in total blocks.
•  Jordan Butler leads the MEAC in blocks per game (1.9) and total blocks (23).
•  The Spartans are 4-1 at home, but are 1-8 (1-5 road, 0-3 neutral) away from home.  
•  Jordan Butler (Defense), Nic Thomas (Player), and C.J. Kelly (Rookie) have earned MEAC Weekly Awards this season.
•  The Spartans are 0-2 against MAAC teams (Siena and Rider) this season.
 
Against The Spartans (Niagara Leads, 3-0)
•  Niagara won the first meeting between the teams, 80-69, on December 29, 2009 in El Paso, Texas as part of the Bank of the West Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational. 
•  The last two encounters have been decided by less than four points.
•  The Purple Eagles edged the Spartans, 65-61, on December 10, 2016, and Niagara won last season's meeting on a last second 3-pointer, 85-82.
 
Last Meeting - December 16, 2017
Niagara 85, Norfolk State 82
 
NORFOLK, Va. – 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 Saturday.
 

The Series	Niagara Leads 3-0
Last Game	December 16, 2017
	Niagara 85, Norfolk State 82
Last Niagara Win	December 16, 2017
	Niagara 85, Norfolk State 82
Last Norfolk State Win	Never
Last Niagara Win at Home	December 10, 2016
	Niagara 65, Norfolk State 61
Last Norfolk State Win at Niagara	Never
Current Streak	Niagara, W3
Coach Casey vs. Norfolk State	2-0

 
Against The MEAC
•  NU has dominated teams from the MEAC, posting an impressive record of 11-1.