PURPLE EAGLES MEN'S BASKETBALL
GAMES 20	No. 5 Niagara Purple Eagles (9-10, 7-9 MAAC) vs. No. 9 Iona Gaels (10-5, 6-3 MAAC)
DATE | TIME	Friday, March 12 | 5:30 PM
TOURNAMENT	2021 Hercules Ties Men's Basketball MAAC Championship Semifinals
LOCATION	Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall – Atlantic City, NJ
GAME NOTES	Niagara | Iona
SERIES	Iona Leads 48-39
STREAK	Niagara W2
GAME PROGRAM	Game Program
BROADCAST	ESPNews – Tiffany Greene/Chris Spatola
RADIO	107.3 FM/AM 1400 – Todd Callen
LIVE STATS	MAACSports.com
TWITTER	@NiagaraMBB
INSTAGRAM	@NiagaraMBB

   The No. 5 seed Niagara Purple Eagles will play the four-time defending MAAC Champions the No. 9 seed Iona Gaels in the 2021 Hercules Tires Men's Basketball Championship Semifinals at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. on Friday, March 12 at 5:30 p.m.
 

SCENE SETTER

•  Niagara advanced to the semifinals after beating the fourth-seeded Marist Red Foxes, 67-62, in the rubber match. The Purple Eagles, who eliminated the Red Foxes in the MAAC Championship First Round last season, led by as much as 19 points in the second half.
•  The Purple Eagles and Gaels will meet for the first time this season as their series was disrupted due to schedule changes throughout the MAAC from COVID-19 protocols.   
•  Niagara has won four of the last five encounters, including winning both games last season to sweep the series for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
•  Niagara is 5-2 against Iona at the MAAC Championships, including a 1-1 record in the semifinals. Niagara defeated Iona in the 2005 semifinals en route to winning the championship. 
•  The Purple Eagles are playing in the MAAC Championship Semifinals for the first time since 2013, where they were fell to the Iona Gaels, 79-73, as the No. 1 seed.
•  Niagara is 6-8 all-time in the semifinal round.
 

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 (3.1), and in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1).
•  Kobi Nwandu was named the Tropicana Atlantic City Player of the Game in the win over Marist in the quarterfinals. He finished with 15 points, five rebounds, swatted a game-high three shots, had two assists, and two steals.
•  Marcus Hammond and Kobi Nwandu were selected to the 2020-21 All-MAAC Second Team.
•  Kobi Nwandu leads the Purple Eagles and is fourth in the MAAC in scoring at 14.5 points per game. Nwandu has scored in double figures in 17 games, including the last seven games. 
•  Kobi Nwandu ranks fourth in the MAAC in field goal percentage (.443).
•  Kobi Nwandu and Marcus Hammond finished the regular season fifth and ninth, respectively, in the MAAC in scoring. Nwandu and Hammond were the only duo in the top-10.
•  Raheem Solomon has scored in double figures in four career meetings with Iona with an average of 15.3 points per game.
•  In three conference tournament games, Raheem Solomon is averaging 18.3 points including scoring in double figures in all three games while also averaging 4.3 rebounds.
•  Marcus Hammond posted two 20-point games against Iona last season. He netted a team-high 20 points on January 12 and a team-high 27 points, including the buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the game into overtime on February 29.
•  Greg Paulus is the first coach in program history to win his first two games at the MAAC Championship.
 

ON THE COURT

Iona Gaels (10-5, 6-3 MAAC)
•  The Gaels, who had the second-highest winning percentage, are the ninth seed in the conference tournament as they won six of their nine league games.
•  Iona defeated eighth-seeded Quinnipiac, 72-48, in the first round before dispatching No. 1 seed Siena, 55-52, in the quarterfinals.
•  Isaiah Ross earned All-MAAC First Team honors while Nelly Junior Joseph collected MAAC All-Rookie and MAAC Rookie of the Year awards. 
•  Iona leads the MAAC in assists per game, free throw percentage, rebounds per game, 3-pointers, and scoring margin. 
 
Against The Gaels (Iona Leads 48-39)
•  Niagara has won four of the last five meetings versus Iona, including sweeping the series last season, after dropping nine of the previous 10 in the series.
•  The Purple Eagles are looking to win three straight in the series for the first time since winning four straight from December 2006 to February 2008.
 
Last Meeting - February 29, 2020
Niagara 100, Iona 91 (overtime)
 
NIAGARA UNIV, N.Y. – The Niagara Purple Eagles pulled off a miraculous rally in the final 35 seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime en route to defeating the Iona Gaels, 100-91, in their home finale on Saturday.
 

The Series	Iona Leads 48-39
Last Game	February 29, 2020
	Niagara 100, Iona 91 (OT)
Last Niagara win	February 29, 2020
	Niagara 100, Iona 91 (OT)
Last Iona win	February 10, 2019
	Iona 79, Niagara 76
Last Niagara win vs. Iona at MAAC Championship	March 6, 2010
	Niagara 68, Iona 64
Last Iona win vs. Niagara at MAAC Championship	March 10, 2013
	Iona 79, Niagara 73
Current streak	Niagara W2

 

Versus Iona In The MAAC Championship (5-2)

2013        Semifinals        Springfield, MA   No. 4 Iona 79, No. 1 Niagara 73

2010        Quarterfinals    Albany, NY         No. 6 Niagara 68, No. 3 Iona 64

2006        Second             Albany, NY         No. 2 Iona 80, No. 7 Niagara 54

2005        Semifinals        Buffalo, NY         No. 1 Niagara 69, No. 5 Iona 66

2004        Second             Albany, NY No. 2 Niagara 106, No. 7 Iona 92 (OT)

2003        Second             Trenton, NJ         No. 4 Niagara 81, No. 5 Iona 75

2002        Quarterfinals    Albany, NY              No. 4 Niagara, No. 5 Iona 83

                                      
MAAC Championship Tidbits
•  NU is 26-28 with two titles (2005 & 2007) in 32 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.