PURPLE EAGLES MEN'S BASKETBALL
GAME 26	Niagara Purple Eagles (9-16, 7-7 MAAC) vs. Fairfield Stags (10-14, 6-8 MAAC)
DATE | TIME	Friday, February 21 | 7 PM
LOCATION	George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall – Fairfield University
GAME NOTES	Niagara | Fairfield
SERIES	Niagara Leads 43-34
STREAK	Niagara W2
BROADCAST	ESPN3 – Bob Heussler/Joe DeSantis
RADIO	WGR 550 AM – Todd Callen
LIVE STATS	FairfieldStags.com
TWITTER	@NiagaraMBB
INSTAGRAM	@NiagaraMBB

   
   The Niagara Purple Eagles, winners of two straight, start another road journey when they play the Fairfield Stags on Friday, February 21 at 7 p.m.
  •  The Purple Eagles bring a two-game win streak into this weekend's road trip.
•  Niagara topped rival Canisius, 69-66, in dramatic fashion on February 12. The Purple Eagles scored the game's final four points with two clutch free throws by Raheem Solomon to take the lead and a layup by Justin Roberts with 20 seconds remaining.
•  NU outscored Monmouth, 12-5, in the final two minutes to defeat the Hawks, 77-72, to improve to 6-2 in league games at the Gallagher Center.
•  The Purple Eagles have won the last two meetings with the Stags, including a 75-66 win to open MAAC play on January 3, and are looking to win three straight in the series for the first time since January 2013 to January 2014.  
•  Niagara and Fairfield have split the last 38 meetings.
  •  Marcus Hammond was named MAAC Player of the Week for the first time in his career on February 17.
•  The Purple Eagles lead the MAAC in turnover margin (3.7), turnovers per game (10.8), and fewest turnovers (269).  NU ranks ninth in the nation in fewest turnovers, 13th in turnovers per game, and 16th in turnover margin. 
•  Niagara is first in the MAAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.14) and had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in 12 straight games from December 1 to January 19.
•  Marcus Hammond leads the Purple Eagles in scoring with a career-high 13.7 points per game and is averaging 16.2 points in league games which ranks third. He has scored in double figures a team-high 15 times, including a span of seven straight games from January 3-26.
•  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.
•  Marcus Hammond is second in the MAAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2).
•  NU is shooting a MAAC-leading 39.4 percent from 3-point range in conference games.
•  Nick MacDonald set a career-high in scoring with a game-high 18 points at Rider on February 9. MacDonald went 7 for 10 from the field and made a career-best four 3-pointers.
•  Greg Kuakumensah has scored in double figures in four of the last five games.
•  The Purple Eagles forced a season-high 20 turnovers and tied season-highs in field goals made (33) and in steals (13) against Quinnipiac on February 2. Niagara's three turnovers are the fewest since February 8, 2015 (Quinnipiac).
•  Shandon Brown scored a career-high 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds versus Monmouth on February 16.
 
On The Court
Fairfield Stags (10-15, 6-8 MAAC)
•  Fairfield starts a four-game homestand when they Stags host the Purple Eagles on February 21. Fairfield is 4-5 in home games.
•  The Stags are 2-3 in their last five games.
•  Three Stags - LandonTaliaferro (11.9 ppg), Jesus Cruz (11.0 ppg), and Taj Benning (10.0 ppg) - are averaging double figures scoring.
•  Fairfield leads the MAAC in scoring defense at 63.4 points per game.
  
Against The Stags (Niagara Leads 43-34)
•  After going 5-1 from January 2013 to March 2015, the Purple Eagles have won just three times in the last 10 meetings with the Stags.
•  Niagara has won the last two meetings for the first time since sweeping the series during the 2014-15 season.
•  The Purple Eagles are looking for their first win at Fairfield since 2015.
 
Last Meeting - January 3, 2020
Niagara 75, Fairfield 66
 
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – A swarming defensive performance and efficient shooting lifted the Purple Eagles to a 75-66 victory against the Fairfield Stags in their MAAC opener on Friday night. 
 

The Series	Niagara Leads 43-34
Last Game	January 3, 2020
	Niagara 75, Fairfield 66
Last Niagara win	January 3,2020
	Niagara 75, Fairfield 66
Last Fairfield win	January 7, 2019
	Fairfield 77, Niagara 59
Last Niagara win at Fairfield	February 15, 2015
	Niagara 55, Fairfield 53
Last Fairfield win at Home	January 7, 2019
	Fairfield 77, Niagara 59
Current Streak	Niagara W2