NIAGARA UNIV. — Niagara Purple Eagles will host the Saint Peter’s Peacocks at 7 p.m. Friday at the Gallagher Center.
The Purple Eagles erased a four-point deficit in the final 1:27 and scored the game’s final six points to pull out a 57-55 win at Saint Peter’s on Jan. 21. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak while also breaking the Peacocks’ four-game winning streak. The Purple Eagles, who are 8-3 in the last 11 meetings with Saint Peter’s, are in search of their first series sweep since the 2012-13 season. The Purple Eagles and Peacocks have alternated victories in the last seven meetings. Five of the last seven meetings have been decided by less than five points with Niagara going 4-1 in those five games. Chris Casey was an assistant coach at Saint Peter’s from 1990-98 where he helped the Peacocks to the 1991 and 1995 MAAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. Casey is 4-3 against Saint Peter’s as head coach at Niagara.
Dominic Robb leads the MAAC and is 23rd in the nation in blocks per game (2.41) and is first in the MAAC and is 15th in the nation in total blocks (70). Robb set the sophomore single-season record, which was held by Joe Arlauckas who had 66 during the 1984-85 season. Robb has also passed Arlauckas for second place on the single-season list and is TWO behind the single-season record holder Mark Henry. Kahlil Dukes is FIFTH in the nation in free-throw percentage (.920). Dukes, who has had streaks of 20 and 17 consecutive made free throws, had a career-high 12 free throws at Quinnipiac on February 4. Dukes is on the verge of setting the single-season program record in free throw percentage which is currently held by Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy who shot 88.1 percent at the line during the 1969-70 season. Matt Scott is third in the MAAC in scoring with 17.8 points per game and Kahlil Dukes is eighth with 16.3 points per game. Niagara is one of two schools (Canisius) in the conference to have two players rank in the top-10 in scoring. Matt Scott scored a career-high 34 points to lead all scorers in Niagara’s meeting with Iona on February 12. Scott also set a season-high with 11 field goals made and a career-high with six 3-pointers made. Scott has four 30-point games in his career, including two this season which are tied for the second most in the MAAC this season. His 34 points are the most by a Purple Eagle in four seasons. Niagara leads the MAAC and is tied for 32nd in the nation in blocked shots per game (5.0) and leads the MAAC and is tied for 22nd in the nation in total blocks (145). The Purple Eagles are on pace to setting the program record in blocks in a single season (155).
The Peacocks are coming into the Gallagher Center riding a four-game winning streak. Two Peacocks are averaging double figures scoring – Quadir Welton (11.9 ppg) and Trevis Wyche (10.9 ppg.). Quadir Welton is currently fourth in the MAAC in rebounds, leading the Peacocks with 9.3 per game. Nick Griffin is second in the conference in field goal percentage (.447) and is seventh in 3-point field goals made per game (2.3). Chazz Patterson is second in the MAAC in steals, averaging 1.8 per game, while Trevis Wyche leads the conference in turnover/assist ratio (2.6).
Niagara snapped a two-game losing streak in the series with a 57-55 victory on Jan. 21. The Purple Eagles are in search of their fifth win in their last six home games against Saint Peter’s dating back to the 2011-12 season.
from PurpleEagles.com via IFTTT
