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Game 33
Niagara Purple Eagles (19-13, 12-6 MAAC) vs. Eastern Michigan Eagles (21-12, 11-7 MAC)
Wednesday, March 14 – 7 p.m.
EMU Convocation Center – Eastern Michigan University
Broadcast: WatchCIT.com – Ryan Wooley and Greg Steiner
Radio: AM 1400 WWWS – Todd Callen
Tournament: 2018 CIT First Round
 
Coming off their best regular season in five campaigns, the Niagara Purple Eagles received an invitation to participate in the 10th CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). Niagara will face the Eastern Michigan Eagles in the CIT First Round on Wednesday, March 14 at 7 p.m.
 
Scene Setter
•  Niagara finished the regular season with 19 wins, including 12 in conference, and with nine home wins. All are the most in five seasons.
•  Niagara's 10 true road wins lead the MAAC and ties a school record in the modern-era set in the 2008-09 season.
•  The Purple Eagles are 12-5 in their last 17 games, including a five-game win streak from January 5-18, and a four-game win streak from February 4-16.
•  Wednesday's matchup will be a classic contrast of style of play. Niagara is 13th in the nation in points per game (83.8), while EMU leads the MAC and is 44th in the nation in scoring defense (66.8 ppg). 
 
Tipoff Tidbits
•  Kahlil Dukes was tabbed as MAAC Co-Player of the Year.
•  Kahlil Dukes and Matt Scott were both selected to the All-MAAC Teams. Dukes was the only unanimous selection to the All-MAAC First Team, while Scott was named to the All-MAAC Second Team.
•  The Purple Eagles lead the MAAC in points per game (83.8), total blocks (141), blocks per game (4.4), total rebounds (1,245), free throws made (578) and in fewest turnovers per game (11.3).
• Matt Scott is seventh on the NU all-time scoring list with 1,719 points and is 10 points behind Tremmel Darden ('04) for sixth. Scott ranks 29th among active scorers in NCAA Division I.
•  Marvin Prochet registered his eighth double-double of the season with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds against Marist on February 23. Prochet has had three double-doubles in the last six games.
•  Kahlil Dukes LEADS the MAAC in free throw percentage (.907) and in 3-point field goal percentage (42.5%), and is second in 3-pointers per game (2.9). Dukes is fourth in the NCAA in career active free throw percentage (.908).
• Marvin Prochet LEADS the conference in rebounds per game (7.8) and in defensive rebounds per game (5.8). Prochet's 10 10-rebound games LEAD the MAAC.
•  Kahlil Dukes notched his league leading 22nd 20-point game of the season with his 21-point effort against Fairfield in the MAAC Quarterfinals. He has scored in double figures in 31 out of 32 games this season, including a current streak of 25 straight games. 
•  Dominic Robb recorded his first double-double of the season with game-highs in points (29) and in rebounds (12) versus Fairfield in the MAAC Quarterfinals. Robb's 29 points are a career-high and his 12 rebounds are a season-high.
 
On The Court
Eastern Michigan Eagles (21-12, 11-7 MAC)
•  The Eagles are 10-3 in their last 13 games, including a six-game win streak as they entered the 2018 MAC Tournament as the three seed. EMU defeated Akron in the quarterfinals before losing by one point in the semifinals to No. 2 seed Toledo.
• Eastern Michigan leads the MAC in multiple defensive categories, including scoring defense (66.8 points per game), defensive field goal percentage (.406), blocked shots per game (6.3) and steals per game (8.8).
•  Three Eagles are averaging double figures in scoring - Elijah Minnie (16.8 ppg), Paul Jackson (15.2 ppg), and James Thompson IV (14.7 ppg).
•  EMU boasts the MAC Defensive Player of the Year (Tim Bond), while placing James Thompson IV on the All-MAC First Team and Paul Jackson on the MAC All-Tournament Team.             
•  Eastern Michigan's 21 overall victories are its most in the past three seasons, while its 11 conference wins are the team's most since earning 13 MAC wins during the 1997-98 season.
 
Against the Eagles (Niagara Leads 1-0)
•  Niagara won the only previous meeting between the programs, defeating the Eagles 91-63 on December 12, 1970 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.
 
Last Meeting - December 12, 1970
Niagara 91, Eastern Michigan 63
 

The Series	Niagara leads 1-0
Last Game	December 12, 1970
	Niagara 91, Eastern Michigan 63
Last Niagara win	December 12, 1970
	Niagara 91, Eastern Michigan 63
Last Eastern Michigan win	Never
Last Niagara win at Eastern Michigan	N/A
Last Eastern Michigan win at Home	N/A
Current Streak	Niagara W1

 
Against the Mid-American Conference
•  Niagara has played 10 of the 12 teams in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) with an overall record of 86-57.
 
Mutual Opponents
•  Niagara and Eastern Michigan have each played one common opponent this season – the Buffalo Bulls.
•  NU and EMU both lost to the Bulls. The Purple Eagles fell 106-87 on November 29, 2017 and the Eagles lost at UB, 83-69, on January 23, 2018.
 
Back To The Postseason
•  The Purple Eagles will make their first postseason appearance since the 2013 National Invitational Tournament (NIT) where they lost to No. 2 seed Maryland.
•  Niagara, which has appeared in three NCAA Tournaments and 14 NIT Tournaments, will play in the CIT for the first time in program history.
 
About The CIT
•  In its 10th season, the CIT was created to provide an opportunity to participate in the postseason for deserving programs not selected to play in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.
•  This season's field of 20 teams was selected by a 14-member committee made of current Division I Athletic Directors and Conference Commissioners.
 
Against the CIT Field
•  The Purple Eagles have played only one opponent in the 20-team CIT field this season – Saint Francis (Pa.).
•  Niagara lost in overtime to the Red Flash, 93-87, on December 10, 2017.
 
Road Warriors
•  Niagara went a MAAC-best 10-6 on the road, including a 6-3 record in MAAC games.
•  The Purple Eagles are one of 17 teams in the nation to have 10 true road wins.
 • The Purple Eagles had a streak of six straight road wins from December 5 to January 18, which was tied for the fourth longest streak in the nation.