ALBANY — The Niagara University Purple Eagles women’s basketball team will face off against a familiar foe at 9:30 a.m. Thursday to kick off the first round of the MAAC Tournament.
This is the second straight season that No. 9 Niagara will face No. 8 Canisius in the MAAC Tournament first round. Last season, Canisius swept Niagara in the regular season, but the Purple Eagles stunned the Golden Griffins in the MAAC Tournament, upsetting Canisius 65-64. In their last MAAC Tournament meeting with Canisius, Tiffany Corselli led Niagara with 22 points. She sank six 3-pointers, which was one shy of tying a MAAC Tournament record. Former Purple Eagle Sam Lapszynski led the team in rebounding with 13 rebounds. Kaylee Stroemple added 15 points and six rebounds for the Purple Eagles.
Redshirt junior forward Victoria Rampado, who was named to the All-MAAC Second Team, leads the conference in scoring with 16.9 points per game and is fourth in rebounding with 7.9 rebounds per game. She leads the Purple Eagles in both categories. Kaylee Stroemple, a junior forward, is second on the team and 11th in the MAAC in scoring with 13.0 points per game. She also has the third-best field goal percentage (50.5%) in the MAAC. Niagara is second in the MAAC in 3-point field goal percentage (33.1%) and free throw percentage (74.4%) and fourth in overall field goal percentage (40%).
The Purple Eagles fell to Monmouth, 68-62, in their regular season finale on Sunday, Feb. 26. Rampado led Niagara with a season-high 27 points, which also tied her career-high. Stroemple had a team-high nine rebounds and also added 18 points.
Sophomore forward Sara Hinriksdottir leads the Griffs in scoring and rebounding with 15 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game. Hinriksdottir is sixth in the MAAC in scoring and seventh in field goal percentage (46.6%). Tamara Miskovic, a senior guard, leads the team with 3.3 assists per game. She averages the third-most assists in the MAAC. Junior guard Margret Halfdanardottir is third in the MAAC in 3-point field goal percentage (38%). The Golden Griffins are third in the MAAC in field goal percenatage (40.1%). Canisius is fourth in the conference in assists with 13.4 assists per game.
The winner of the No. 8/9 game will face No. 1 Quinnipiac at 1 p.m. Friday.
from PurpleEagles.com via IFTTT
