NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Niagara women’s basketball head coach Jada Pierce has announced the Purple Eagles’ 2018-19 non-conference schedule. Highlights of the schedule include matchups with five teams that participated in postseason tournaments last season, including one that made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
“Our schedule offers a mixture of familiar opponents, as well as a few new teams that will also challenge us,” said Pierce. “As always, we like to play teams that will ready us for tough Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play.”
The Purple Eagles open the season at home against Little 3 rival St. Bonaventure on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Following the Bonnies, Niagara will participate in the Preseason WNIT for the first time in program history. NU will matchup with Iowa State in the first round of the tournament on Friday, Nov. 9 at 1:00 p.m. in Ames, Iowa. Each team has a three-game guarantee and the consolation round schedule will be determined after the first round. In the winner’s bracket, the second round is set for Nov. 11, with the semifinals running Nov. 13-15. The championship game will air live on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 4:30 p.m.
Niagara takes on the Buffalo Bulls on Wednesday, Nov. 14. Niagara stunned the Bulls last season, defeating them, 75-62, on Dec. 18, 2017. Buffalo made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, ultimately falling to No. 1 seed South Carolina.
The Purple Eagles take on 2018 WNIT participant St. Joseph’s on Tuesday, Nov. 20 for the teams’ second all-time meeting.
Niagara begins a three-game home stand on Saturday, Dec. 1, hosting Howard for the teams’ first all-time meeting. NU welcomes Binghamton to the Gallagher Center on Wednesday, Dec. 5. The Bearcats competed in the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) last season, falling to Yale in the second round. The Purple Eagles close out their home stand with Coppin State on Saturday, Dec. 15. It will be the first all-time meeting between NU and the Eagles.
The Purple Eagles take on the Syracuse Orange, who participated in the NCAA Tournament last season, on Monday, Dec. 17. Following Syracuse, NU will matchup with West Virginia for the first time in program history on Saturday, Dec. 29. West Virginia made it to the semifinals of the WNIT last season.
NU closes out its non-conference schedule with a New Year’s Eve matchup at the Gallagher Center with Colgate at 12:00 p.m.
For ticket information, contact the Niagara Athletic Ticket Office at 716-286 TIXX, tickets@Niagara.edu or www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets.
