NIAGARA UNIV. — The Niagara Univeristy Purple Eagles men’s basketball team will take on the Monmouth Hawks at 7 p.m. Saturday at Gallagher Center.
The Purple Eagles are 3-2 on the Frank and Barbara Layden Court at the Gallagher Center, including winning their most recent game. NU holds a +3.0 scoring margin and has shot over 43 percent from the field, 42 percent from behind the 3-point line and 78 percent from the free-throw line while holding opponents to under 40 percent from the field and 26 percent from 3-pointers. Niagara has already picked up wins against the No. 2 (Siena) and No. 3 (Iona) ranked teams in the MAAC Preseason Poll.
Kahlil Dukes leads the MAAC and is FIFTH in the nation in free-throw percentage (.929). Dominic Robb leads the MAAC and is 27th in the nation with 2.41 blocks per game while also leading the MAAC and is 21st in the nation in total blocks (41). Marvin Prochet is third in the MAAC in blocks per game (1.41) and is one block away from tying his freshman total of 25. A pair of Purple Eagles had 20-point games in the win over Siena on January 4 with Matt Scott and Kahlil Dukes each pouring in 22 points. This was the second time this season two Purple Eagles scored 20-plus points (Shane Gatling and Dukes at Youngstown State). Niagara made a season-high 12 3-pointers against Quinnipiac on January 2. The 12 triples are the most since hitting 12 3-pointers in a double overtime win against Quinnipiac on Feb. 1, 2015 and the most in regulation since draining 12 against Northwestern State on February 23, 2013. In the last four games, Dominic Robb is averaging 12.5 points per game, including scoring in double figures in each game, while shooting over 46 percent from the field. Robb is bringing down 6.5 rebounds per game and averaging 2.3 blocks per game during this stretch. Robb notched his second career double-double with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds at Manhattan. Matt Scott is on a streak of three straight 20-point games, which is his second longest streak in his career. He either led or shared game-high honors in scoring in each game. He is shooting over 56 percent from the field goal, including shooting 72.7 percent at Manhattan to tie a career-high. Niagara leads the MAAC in blocked shots per game (4.9), total blocks (84), and is second in free throws made (277) and free throw shooting percentage (.755).
Monmouth, the defending regular season champions, has won its last two games entering Saturday’s game. The Hawks had a program-best nine-game win streak from November 22-Dececember 20 before losing three straight. Three Hawks are averaging double figures – Justin Robinson (17.2 ppg), Micah Seaborn (15.7 ppg) and Je’lon Hornbeak (11.6 ppg). Justin Robinson is second in the conference in steals per game (1.7) and third in the MAAC in assists per game (5.0). Monmouth leads the MAAC in scoring margin (+4.2), steals per game (8.3), total steals (141), field goal percentage defense (.441), free throws made (289) and turnovers forced per game (15.4) while ranking second in points per game (79.5), blocks per game (4.4) and total blocks (74).
The first meeting between the two programs was during the 2008-09 season, which Niagara won 71-48 in the Philly Hoop Group Classic in Philadelphia. The Purple Eagles have lost all six meetings since the Hawks joined the MAAC at the start of the 2013-14 season.
from PurpleEagles.com via IFTTT
