The Niagara Purple Eagles are back home to host a pair of conference opponents beginning on Friday, January 17 versus the Rider Broncs at 7 p.m.
Scene Setter
• After four conference games, the Purple Eagles are 2-2. Niagara split its conference opening weekend, before splitting a pair of road games last week.
• NU opened its conference road slate with a narrow defeat to Quinnipiac. The Purple Eagles led 52-51 with less than three minutes remaining before the Bobcats went on an 8-0 run.
• The Purple Eagles bounced back with a thrilling 70-69 win at Iona on January 12 to even their MAAC record.
• Niagara welcomes Rider to the Gallagher Center in a series which the Broncs have controlled recently, winning six of the last seven meetings.
• The Purple Eagles will participate in the annual NABC Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week when the Purple Eagles host the Siena Saints on Sunday, January 19 at 1 p.m.
Tipoff Tidbits
•
Marcus Hammond scored a career-high 36 points to lead all scorers at Quinnipiac on January 10. Hammond's 36 points are the most by a Purple Eagle in two seasons and are tied for the most by a MAAC player this season.
• Hammond followed that performance by leading NU in scoring with 20 points, including going 4-for-7 from 3-point range, and dished out a team-high four assists as the Purple Eagles edged the Gaels. In the two games, Hammond averaged 28 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals. Hammond shot 53.8 percent from the field, including 50 percent (9-for-18) from 3-point range, and made all five of his free throw attempts.
• Niagara leads the MAAC and is 17th in the nation in free throw percentage (.773).
• The Purple Eagles lead all MAAC teams in turnover margin (3.5) and turnovers per game (11.1).
• Niagara is first in the MAAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) and has had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in ten straight games.
•
James Towns is 35 points away from reaching the 1,000-point threshold.
•
Marcus Hammond is second in the MAAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4), and is averaging 20 points per league game which ranks third in the MAAC.
• Senior
James Towns (13.1 ppg), and sophomore guards
Marcus Hammond (13.1 ppg) and
Raheem Solomon (11.4) are all averaging career-highs in scoring.
• Six Purple Eagles - MacDonald, Brown, Solomon, Towns, Hammond, Kratholm - are shooting at least 80 percent at the free-throw line.
• NU is shooting a MAAC-leading 43 percent from 3-point range in conference games.
•
Raheem Solomon recorded his first career double-double with 17 points, which tied a season-high, and grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds at Iona. Solomon joins
Greg Kuakumensah, who has three double-doubles, as the only Purple Eagles with a double-double this season.
On The Court
Rider Broncs (9-6, 3-2 MAAC)
• Rider won its previous game, downing Marist 69-52 to sweep the season series, to stop a two-game skid and to improve to 3-2 in league play.
• Rider won seven of its first nine games for the program's best start to a season since the 1997-98 season (8-1).
• The Broncs lead the MAAC in points per game (72.9 ppg), rebound margin (6.7), and rebounds per game (40.5).
• Four Broncs are averaging double figures scoring - Dimencio Vaughn (14.0 ppg), Frederick Scott (13.5 ppg), Tyere Marshall (13.0 ppg), and Stevie Jordan (12.5 ppg).
• Stevie Jordan leads the team and is second in the MAAC in steals per game (1.7).
• Three Broncs - Tyere Marshall (8.8 rpg), Dimencio Vaughn (7.0 rpg), and Frederick Scott (6.3 rpg) - rank in the top-10 in the MAAC in rebounds per game.
Against The Broncs (Rider Leads 26-22)
• Niagara is 13-11 all-time at home against Rider.
• After winning 7 out of 9 meetings from January 2006 to March 2009, NU has won only three times in the last 19 encounters.
Last Meeting - February 22, 2019
Rider 97, Niagara 81
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The Niagara Purple Eagles started their three-game road trip with a 97-81 setback to the Rider Broncs on Friday night.
| The Series |
Rider Leads 26-22 |
| Last Game |
February 22, 2019 |
|
Rider 97, Niagara 81 |
| Last Niagara win |
January 28, 2017 |
|
Niagara 80, Rider 67 |
| Last Rider win |
February 22, 2019 |
|
Rider 97, Niagara 81 |
| Last Niagara win at Home |
January 28, 2017 |
|
Niagara 80, Rider 67 |
| Last Rider win at Niagara |
January 13, 2019 |
|
Rider 104, Niagara 84 |
| Current streak |
Rider W3 |
