22020-210 2 0 - 2 1 NNIAGARAI A G A R A UUNIVERSITYN I V E R S I T Y MMEN’SE N ’ S BBASKETBALLA S K E T B A L L GAMEG A M E NOTESN O T E S 3 NNCAACAA TTOURNAMENTOURNAMENT APPEARANCESAPPEARANCES • 1144 NNITIT AAPPEARANCESPPEARANCES • 2 MMAACAAC TTOURNAMENTOURNAMENT TITLESTITLES • 2 NNAISMITHAISMITH MMEMORIALEMORIAL HALLHALL OFOF FAMERSFAMERS SCHEDULE NIAGARA PURPLE EAGLES (5-7; 4-6 MAAC) DECEMBER (3-3) VS. QUINNIPIAC BOBCATS (3-5, 1-3 MAAC) Thu 3 at Syracuse^# L, 75-45 Fri 11 at Saint Peter’s*# L, 70-54 JANUARY 22-23 - 4 PM • PEOPLE’S UNITED CENTER (3,750) • HAMDEN, CT Sat 12 at Saint Peter’s*# L, 53-49 SERIES RECORD - QUINNIPIAC LEADS 11-7 • RECENT STREAK - NIAGARA W1 FRI 18 FAIRFIELD*# W, 68-51 SAT 19 FAIRFIELD*# W, 81-61 BROADCAST: ESPN+/ESPN3 STREAM: WatchESPN RADIO: 107.3 FM/AM 1400 Tue 22 at Albany^# W, 70-65 NIAGARA CONTINUES ROAD JOURNEY AT QUINNIPIAC JANUARY (2-4) PURPLE EAGLES HAVE WON FIVE OF LAST SEVEN MEETINGS Fri 1 at Marist*^# L, 63-61 Sat 2 at Marist*^# W, 86-72 The Niagara Purple Eagles continue their four-game road trip with games against the Quin- FRI 8 RIDER*^# L, 76-70 nipiac Bobcats on January 22-23 at 4 p.m. SAT 9 RIDER*^# W, 66-55 Fri 15 at Manhattan*^# L, 58-49 Sat 16 at Manhattan*^# L, 58-55 SCENE SETTER Fri 22 at Quinnipiac*^# 4:00 PM • Niagara started its current stretch of road games with two defeats versus the Manhattan Sat 23 at Quinnipiac*^# 4:00 PM Jaspers on February 15-16. FRI 29 SIENA*# 4:00 PM SAT 30 SIENA*# 4:00 PM • The Purple Eagles were originally scheduled to play the Iona Gaels on January 22-23, but the MAAC announced a revised schedule, which affected every program, on January 17. FEBRUARY • The Purple Eagles, who will play their third series on the road since January 1, will now play WED 10 CANISIUS*# 4:00 PM six of their fi nal eight games at the Gallagher Center starting with Siena on January 29-30. FRI 19 MONMOUTH*# 4:00 PM SAT 20 MONMOUTH*# 4:00 PM • The Purple Eagles and Bobcats split the two regular season meetings last year, with both WED 24 CANISIUS*# 4:00 PM teams protecting their home court. • Niagara has won fi ve of the last seven meetings with Quinnipiac, including two of the last MARCH three in Hamden. Thu 5 at Iona*# TBD Fri 6 at Iona*# TBD • Marcus Hammond is averaging 18.7 points in four meetings with the Bobcats. He scored a Tue-Sat 9-13 MAAC Championships TBD total of 59 points in the two matchups last season, including pouring in a career-high 36 points ________________________________________________ at Quinnipiac on January 10. Home Games are in BOLD CAPS Neutral Games are in italics All times listed in Eastern Standard TIPOFF TIDBITS * MAAC ~ Exhibition @ MAAC Championships • The Purple Eagles lead the MAAC and rank TENTH in the nation in fewest turnovers per ^ AM 1400 WWWS $ WGR 550 AM # ESPN Networks game (10.2). Niagara leads the conference in scoring defense (63.1 ppg) and in turnover margin NIAGARA VS. 2020-21 OPPONENTS (3.1), while ranking second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.0). Opponent W L • Marcus Hammond, who led NU in scoring and rebounds last season, is averaging team-highs Syracuse .............................................. 28 .......55 in points with 14.2 per game, rebounds with 6.1 per contest, assists with 2.7 per game, and steals Saint Peter’s ........................................ 52 .......38 with 1.1 per contest. Hammond ranks sixth in the MAAC in scoring and second in 3-pointers Fairfi eld ...............................................45 .......35 made (26). Albany ...................................................4 ......... 4 • Kobi Nwandu is averaging 12.3 points per game this season and had his consecutive double Marist .................................................. 30 .......24 fi gures scoring streak snapped at 10 games on January 16 at Manhattan. He scored a season- Rider .................................................... 24 .......28 high 21 points on January 9 versus Rider and has led NU in scoring in a game three times this Manhattan........................................... 33 .......58 season. Nwandu scored his 1,000th career point on a free throw to complete a three-point play Quinnipiac ............................................7 ........11 on January 15 against Manhattan. He scored 450 points at East Stroudsburg (2016-18) and 414 Siena .................................................... 49 .......54 Canisius .............................................. 107 ......82 points at LeMoyne (2018-19). Monmouth ...........................................5 ........11 • Raheem Solomon scored 13 points at Manhattan on January 16 to lead the Purple Eagles in Iona ..................................................... 39 .......48 scoring for the fi rst time this season. Solomon has scored in double fi gures in four of the last TOTAL ...................................... 423 .... 448 six games. • Jordan Cintron has scored at least eight points in seven of the nine games he has played this season, including the last fi ve games. • The Purple Eagles recorded a 3.45 grade-point average in the fall semester to set a program record for the third consecutive semester. Niagara Head Coach ...................................Greg Paulus Purple Eagle Probables Bobcat Probables Career Record ...................................17-27/2nd Season # Name Pos. 20-21 Season Stats # Name Pos. 20-21 Season Stats Record at Niagara ....................................................Same 12 Brown ...................G ................2.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg 3 Lewis .....................G ................9.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg Record vs. Quinnipiac ................................................1-1 10 Hammond ............G ..............14.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg 5 Williams ................G ................9.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg Quinnipiac Head Coach ......................Baker Dunleavy 15 Kuakumensah.......F .................5.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg 1 Chenery ................G ............ 10.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg Career Record ....................................46-56/4th Season 1 Nwandu .................F ...............12.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg 25 Rigoni ....................F ...............10.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg Record at Quinnipiac ..............................................Same 34 Kratholm ...............F .................4.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg 4 Pinkney ..................F .................8.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg Record vs. Niagara ......................................................2-4 MEN’S BASKETBALL CONTACT: DERICK THORNTON EMAIL: [email protected] OFFICE: 716-286-8588 CELL: 850-529-0395 2020-21 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL NIAGARA QUICK FACTS On The Court Location .......................Niagara University, N.Y. Quinnipiac Bobcats (3-5, 1-3 MAAC) Founded ......................................................... 1856 • Quinnipiac is 3-5 on the season, including 1-3 in league play. Enrollment ................................................... 3,950 • After defeating the Manhattan Jaspers on January 8 in their fi rst game in over a month, Nickname ...................................... Purple Eagles the Bobcats have lost their last three games. Colors ......................Purple (PMS 268) & White • Two Bobcats - Jacob Rigoni (10.9 ppg) and Tymu Chenery (10.6 ppg) - are averaging Affi liation................................ NCAA Division I double fi gures in scoring. Conference ....................Metro Atlantic Athletic President ....................Rev. James J. Maher, C.M. • Jacob Rigoni leads the MAAC in free throw percentage (.900) and defensive rebounds per Director of Athletics .......................Simon Gray game (7.3), and is second in rebounds per game (7.5). Faculty Athletics Rep ............Dr. John Stranges • Seth Pinkney is ninth in the nation in blocked shots per game (3.0). Athletic Department Phone ........716-286-8600 • The Bobcats lead the nation in defensive fi eld goal percentage (.358) while ranking third in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (31.6) and seventh in blocked shots per game First Year ..................................................1905-06 (5.9). All-time Record .............................1,487-1,271-1 • Quinnipiac leads the MAAC in defensive fi eld goal percentage, defensive rebounds per Arena .............................‘Taps’ Gallagher Center game, blocked shots per game, rebounds per game (39.1), defensive 3-point fi eld goal per- Court ........................Frank and Barbara Layden centage (.290) and ranks second in free throw percentage (.727). Capacity ........................................................ 2,100 Year Opened .................................................1949 Record .......................................................449-210 Against The Bobcats (Quinnipiac Leads 11-7) MAAC Record .........................................273-274 • The Purple Eagles have won fi ve of the last seven meetings in the series that started during the 2010-11 season. ATHLETICS MISSION STATEMENT • Niagara has won two of the last three meetings at Quinnipiac. We provide an environment that • The Purple Eagles and Bobcats have split the last 10 encounters. inspires the holistic development of Last Meeting - February 2, 2020 student-athletes, striving for excel- Niagara 75, Quinnipiac 59 lence in all phases of their lives, while collectively serving as a source of NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Purple Eagles forced a season-high 20 turnovers while com- pride for the campus and community. mitting a program-record low three turnovers in a 75-59 victory over the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Sunday. The experience derived from the The Series ......................................................................................................Quinnipiac