The Niagara Purple Eagles begin their quest for a conference championship when they play the No. 6 seed Monmouth Hawks in the 2019 MAAC Championship First Round on Thursday, March 7 at 9 p.m.
 
Scene Setter
•  The Purple Eagles finished the regular season in a three-way tie for ninth place and will be the 11th seed in the 2019 MAAC Championships.
•  Niagara played a dominant second half to beat Monmouth, 75-48, on January 26 at the Gallagher Center in the lone meeting this season. The Purple Eagles' three-game win streak versus Monmouth is Niagara's longest active win streak against an MAAC opponent.
•  Niagara's 27-point win over Monmouth is the program's largest margin of victory since beating Marist, 79-50, in the 2009 MAAC Championship Quarterfinals. The 48 points allowed are the fewest since St. John's scored 48 points against the Purple Eagles on December 9, 2015.
•  NU and Monmouth have met once in the MAAC Championship. The No. 1 seed Hawks defeated the ninth-seeded Purple Eagles in the 2017 MAAC Quarterfinals.
•  The winner of Thursday's game advances to the MAAC Quarterfinals versus Quinnipiac on Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
Tipoff Tidbits
•  Marvin Prochet was named to the All-MAAC Second Team. Prochet is fifth in the MAAC in scoring with a career-high 15.9 points per game and fourth in rebounding with 7.2 boards per game. His career-high 42.8 three-point field goal percent is third in the league.
•  Dominic Robb became the program's career leader in blocks in Niagara's win over Canisius on February 27. Robb's 221 blocks are sixth most among active players in NCAA Division I.
•  Dominic Robb joined the 1,000-point club after scoring a team-high 17 points at Saint Peter's on February 24. Robb and Joe Arlauckas ('87) are the only Purple Eagles with 1,000 career points and 200 career blocks.
•  Dominic Robb LEADS the MAAC in total blocks (65) and blocks per game (2.1) while ranking 23rd and 30th, respectively, in those categories nationally. Robb's 65 blocks are fifth most in a season in program history.
•  James Towns is third in the MAAC in free throw percentage with a career-high 81.4 percent. Towns is also averaging career-high in assists per game (3.6) and in assist/turnover ratio (1.6).
•  James Towns has scored in double figures in three career MAAC Championship games.
•  Dominic Robb is averaging a team-best 15.0 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game, including two double-doubles, in four games in the MAAC Championship.
•  Chris Barton set a career-high in scoring with a game-high 22 points, including 20 in the second half, versus Monmouth on January 26.  Barton was 8-for-9 from the free-throw line, grabbed seven rebounds and had three assists.
•  The Purple Eagles are tied for first in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.395) in MAAC games, with Marcus Hammond leading the MAAC at 56.8 percent (25-for-44).
 
On The Court
Monmouth Hawks (11-20, 10-8 MAAC)
•  The Hawks, who are the sixth seed, are 5-5 in their last 10 games.
•  Senior forward Diego Quinn was named to the 2018-19 All-MAAC Third Team. Quinn is averaging 8.8 points and 5.8 rebounds on the season. 
•  Deion Hammond and Ray Salnave are both averaging 11.9 points per game.
•  Monmouth leads the MAAC in field goal percentage defense (.418) and made free throws (465).
 
Against The Hawks (Monmouth Leads 9-4)
•  After dropping nine of the first 10 matchups between the two programs, Niagara has won the last three contests.
 
Last Meeting - January 26, 2019
Niagara 75, Monmouth 48
 
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – A pair of Purple Eagles' 20-point games and a season-high 53 second half points powered the Purple Eagles to their largest margin of victory in 10 seasons in a 75-48 win over the Monmouth Hawks on Saturday.
 

The Series	Monmouth Leads 9-4
Last Game	January 26, 2019
	Niagara 75, Monmouth 48
Last Niagara Win	January 26, 2019
	Niagara 75, Monmouth 48
Last Monmouth Win	March 3, 2017
	Monmouth 84, Niagara 59
Last Niagara Win Vs. Monmouth At MAAC Tournament	Never
Last Monmouth Win Vs. Niagara At MAAC Tournament	March 3, 2017
	Monmouth 84, Niagara 59
Current Streak	Niagara, W3

 
Versus Monmouth In The MAAC Championship (0-1)

2017

Quarterfinals

Albany, NY

No. 1 Monmouth 84, No. 9 Niagara 59

            
 
MAAC Championship Tidbits
•  NU is 24-27 with two titles (2005 & 2007) in 29 appearances at the MAAC Basketball Championships
•  The Purple Eagles are 13-20 all-time in 20 trips to Albany for the MAAC Championships.
•  Niagara will be the 11th seed for the second time since the tournament field expanded to 11 teams in 2014.
•  Niagara is 1-3 as the lowest seed in the MAAC Championships. The Purple Eagles went 1-1 as the 11th seed in 2014 and lost their first game as the 8th seed in 1994 and 1995.
 
Prochet Named To All-MAAC Second Team
•  Marvin Prochet was named to the All-MAAC Second Team to earn his first career conference selection.
•  Prochet is averaging career-highs in points per game (15.9 ppg), field goal percentage (.424), in 3-point field goal percentage (.428), 3-pointers made per game (2.6), assists per game (1.7 apg), and in double-doubles (8).
•  Prochet is the only player in the MAAC to rank in the top-10 in points per game (fifth), rebounds per game (fourth), 3-point field percentage (fourth), 3-pointer per game (fourth), and blocks per game (tenth).
 
Secretary Of Defense
•  Dominic Robb, who started his final campaign wearing the Purple & White fifth on the career blocks list, became the career leader in blocks in Niagara's win over Canisius on February 27. Robb swatted his 221st shot in the final seconds to break a tie with Joe Arlauckas ('87).
•  Robb set the program's single-season record in blocks with a MAAC-leading 74 blocks during the 2016-17 season.
•  He was second in the MAAC with a team-leading 48 blocks last season.
•  This season, Robb is 27th in the NCAA in blocks per game and his 65 blocks are fifth most in a single season. 
•  Robb's career-high eight blocks in the season-opening win versus Little 3 rival St. Bonaventure are tied for second most in program history and tied for tenth most in the nation this season.