PURPLE EAGLES MEN'S BASKETBALL
GAMES 19	No. 5 Niagara Purple Eagles (8-10, 7-9 MAAC) vs. No. 4 Marist Red Foxes (12-8, 10-8 MAAC)
DATE | TIME	Thursday, March 11 | 7:30 PM
TOURNAMENT	2021 Hercules Ties Men's Basketball MAAC Championship Quarterfinal
LOCATION	Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall – Atlantic City, NJ
GAME NOTES	Niagara | Marist
SERIES	Niagara Leads 30-24
STREAK	Niagara W1
GAME PROGRAM	Game Program
BROADCAST	ESPN+ - Daryl Fein/Chris Williams International Stream
RADIO	107.3 FM/AM 1400 – Todd Callen
LIVE STATS	MAACSports.com
TWITTER	@NiagaraMBB
INSTAGRAM	@NiagaraMBB

  
The No. 5 seed Niagara Purple Eagles will face the No. 4 seed Marist Red Foxes in the 2021 Hercules Tires Men's Basketball Championships Quarterfinal at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. on Thursday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m.
 

SCENE SETTER

•  The Purple Eagles and Red Foxes will meet for the sixth time in the last 14 months. The teams met in last season's MAAC Championships First Round. The sixth-seeded Purple Eagles edged the 11th seeded Red Foxes, 56-54, on a layup by Raheem Solomon with three seconds remaining.
•  This season, the teams split a pair in Poughkeepsie to start 2021. After falling by two points on January 1, the Purple Eagles bounced back with an 86-72 win in a game where Niagara scored 20 straight points as part of a 26-4 run in the first half.
•  Niagara and Marist have met six times in the MAAC Championships with the Purple Eagles holding a 4-2 advantage. 
•  The Purple Eagles will be the fifth seed for only the second time at the MAAC Championships. Niagara was the fifth seed in 2000 and went 1-1.
•  Niagara is 13-11 all-time in the quarterfinal round and is in search of its first semifinal appearance since 2013.
 

TIPOFF TIDBITS

•  The Purple Eagles lead the MAAC and rank SIXTH in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (9.9). Niagara leads the conference in turnover margin (3.2), and in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2).
•  Marcus Hammond and Kobi Nwandu were selected to the 2020-21 All-MAAC Second Team.
•  Kobi Nwandu has led the Purple Eagles in scoring in the last four games, which is the longest streak by a Purple Eagle this season. 
•  Kobi Nwandu ranks fourth in the MAAC in field goal percentage (.451).
•  Kobi Nwandu (14.5 ppg) and Marcus Hammond (13.2) are fifth and ninth, respectively, in the MAAC in scoring. Nwandu and Hammond are the only duo in the top-10.
•  Marcus Hammond has three 20-point games against Marist in six meetings, with all three coming in the last four encounters.
•  In the last three games, Jordan Cintron has averaged 11 points, including a career-high 22 points against Monmouth on February 30, while shooting 83 percent from the field.
•  The Purple Eagles are on a four-game streak of having at least 16 assists in a game.
•  Niagara made a total of 15 3-pointers in the two-game set with Siena, which is its most in a two-game series this season since Marist (21) on January 1-2.
•  The Purple Eagles have had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in the last five games.
•  Niagara posted season-highs in points (81), 3-point field goals made (14), and free throws made (24) against Marist on January 2.
 

ON THE COURT

Marist Red Foxes (12-8, 10-8 MAAC)
•  The Red Foxes, who clinched their first winning season in 13 years, enter the MAAC Championships on a three-game win streak with victories over Saint Peter's and Quinnipiac (twice).
•  Hakim Byrd and Ricardo Wright were named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team. Byrd Wright was a unanimous selection and led the Red Foxes in scoring (11.4 ppg).
•  Marist is second in the MAAC in scoring defense (63.5 ppg).
 
Against The Red Foxes (Niagara Leads 30-24)
•  The Purple Eagles and Red Foxes have split the last 12 meetings, including the two-game set on January 1-2.
•  The Purple Eagles are 4-2 against the Red Foxes in the MAAC Tournament with wins coming in 2000, 2009, 2014, and 2020. 
 
Last Meeting - January 2, 2021
Niagara 86, Marist 72
 
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – An offensive surge in the first half powered the Purple Eagles on their way to an 86-72 win over the first-place Marist Red Foxes on Saturday.
 

The Series	Niagara Leads 30-24
Last Game	January 2, 2021
	Niagara 86, Marist 72
Last Niagara win	January 2, 2021
	Niagara 86, Marist 72
Last Marist win	January 1, 2021
	Marist 63, Niagara 61
Last Niagara win vs. Marist at MAAC Tournament	March 10, 2020
	Niagara 56, Marist 54
Last Marist win vs. Niagara at MAAC Tournament	March 4, 2011
	Marist 73, Niagara 61
Current Streak	Niagara W1

 
Versus Marist In The MAAC Championship (4-2)

2020	First	Atlantic City, NJ	No. 6 Niagara 56, No. 11 Marist 54
2014	First	Springfield, MA	No. 11 Niagara 78, No. 6 Marist 76
2011	First	Albany, NY	No. 9 Marist 73, No. 8 Niagara 61
2009	Quarterfinals	Albany, NY	No. 2 Niagara 79, No. 10 Marist 50
2008	Quarterfinals	Albany, NY	No. 6 Marist 66, No.3 Niagara 62
2000	Quarterfinals	Albany, NY	No. 5 Niagara 83, No. 4 Marist 65

                                                
MAAC Championship Tidbits
•  NU is 25-28 with two titles (2005 & 2007) in 31 appearances at the MAAC Basketball Championships
•  Niagara will be the No. 5 seed for only the second time at the MAAC Championship. The Purple Eagles were the fifth seed in 2000 where they defeated fourth-seeded Marist in the quarterfinal before falling to No. 1 Siena in the semis.