NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara University men's basketball team will head east on the I-90 to play the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on December 28 in the programs' first meeting in 19 seasons.
"Playing against an ACC team like Syracuse is great for our conference and for Niagara University," said head coach Patrick Beilein. "This will be the first time since 2000 that these two teams have met, and we're looking forward to making the trip back to Syracuse."
Niagara and Syracuse have met 81 times with the Orange holding a 53-28 advantage in the all-time series.
The Purple Eagles, who have dropped the last eight encounters, won the first meeting between the programs during the 1909-10 season. Niagara's last win in the series was on February 25, 1976 under a Frank Layden-coached team that went on to play in the NIT.
The last time the Purple Eagles and Orange met was 19 years ago, when No. 15 Syracuse defeated Niagara, 95-69, in the Carrier Dome on December 30, 2000.
This will be Niagara's second straight season playing against an ACC opponent. The Purple Eagles defeated the Pitt Panthers, 71-70, on December 3, 2018.
The Purple Eagles return five letterwinners from last season's team, including senior guard
James Towns (10.5 ppg, 3.4 apg) and sophomore guards
Raheem Solomon (7.8 ppg) and
Marcus Hammond (5.8 ppg). The Syracuse Orange went 20-14 last season en route to earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. Redshirt junior Elijah Hughes (13.7 ppg.) is a returning starter for the Orange.
For ticket information, contact the Niagara Athletic Ticket Office at 716-286-8499.
CNY Purple Eagle Golf Classic
Before the men's basketball team make a trip to Syracuse to play the Orange, the Niagara University Department of Athletics will hold the CNY Purple Eagle Golf Classic on Thursday, September 5. The event, which benefits student-athletes, will be held at the Tuscarora Golf Club in Marcellus, N.Y. with registration at 10 a.m. followed by tee-off at 11 a.m., cocktails at 4 p.m., and dinner/awards starting at 5 p.m.
Register at niagaraalumni.com or contact Paul Gorski at 716-286-8771 by Friday, August 30.
Beilein Era Begins
Patrick Beilein, a rising star in the coaching profession, was named the 22nd head coach of the Niagara University men's basketball program on March 28. Beilein brings an impressive pedigree to Niagara University as a former NCAA Division I student-athlete and with coaching experience at the NBA, NCAA Division I and II level.
Beilein spent the last four years leading the Le Moyne Dolphins program. Beilein, a two-time Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year recipient, guided Le Moyne to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances including the program's first-ever NCAA Elite 8 appearance in 2018.
CNY Connection
Patrick Beilein isn't the only Purple Eagle with a connection to the Syracuse area. Assistant coach
Greg Paulus is a native of Syracuse and was named Gatorade High School Football Player of the Year (2004) and the Gatorade High School Male Athlete of the Year (2005) at Christian Brothers Academy. After a successful playing career at Duke (2005-09), Paulus played on the Syracuse football team in 2009 where he was the starting quarterback and captain.
Assistant coach
Brett Ervin spent three seasons on staff at Le Moyne under Beilein, serving as a graduate assistant (2015-17) and an assistant coach (2018-19). Director of basketball operations
Madison Hahesy was a four-year letterwinner (2011-15) on the Le Moyne women's basketball team and was a graduate assistant on the women's basketball team (2015-17).
Memorable Moments Versus Syracuse