The Purple Eagles (3-5, 0-2 MAAC) resume non-conference play with a midweek matchup against the Eastern Michigan Eagles (3-5, 0-0 MAC) on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 7:00 p.m.

Last Time Out
•  The Purple Eagles opened MAAC play last weekend, falling to Monmouth, 57-49, on Dec. 3 and to Fairfield, 81-71, on Dec. 5.
•  Marcus Hammond scored 11 points in each game of the weekend. Versus the Hawks, he went a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line.
•  Jordan Cintron led the team in scoring against the Stags with 14 points. 
•  Sam Iorio recorded a season-high 13 rebounds against Monmouth. He had seven boards against the Stags, officially reaching 500 career rebounds.
•  Justin Roberts scored in double figures in both games, scoring 10 points against Monmouth and 12 points versus Fairfield.

Welcome to the 1,000 Point Club!
•  Marcus Hammond reached 1,000 career points at Colgate on Nov. 29. Hammond needed three points entering the game and scored five quick points, earning his 1,000th point on a 3-pointer.
•  Sam Iorio surpassed 1,000 career points against St. Thomas on Nov. 20. Iorio entered the game needing 11 points to reach the milestone. He scored 15 points, earning his 1,000th point on a free throw.

Rising Star
•  Head coach Greg Paulus was named to The Athletic’s 40 Under 40: Rising Stars in Men’s College Basketball list, released by the publication on Nov. 23.
•  Paulus, 35, is in his third season at the helm of the Niagara University men’s basketball program. In Paulus’ tenure, Niagara has become one of the most competitive teams in the MAAC and he has helped bring national attention to the NU program.

Milestone Watch
•  Sam Iorio reached 500 career rebounds as the Purple Eagles took on Fairfield on Dec. 5. He needed seven rebounds entering the game and brought down exactly seven.
•  Jordan Cintron is also on pace to reach 500 career rebounds this season. Cintron is just nine boards away from reaching the milestone.

Joe Mihalich Returns to NU
•  Legendary Niagara men’s basketball head coach Joe Mihalich returned to Monteagle Ridge for Hall of Fame Week. He was honored at a tribute dinner on Thursday Dec. 2, as well as at halftime of NU’s game versus Monmouth, and was officially inducted into the Niagara University Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, Dec. 4.
•  Mihalich was at the helm of the Niagara men’s basketball program from 1998-2013 and compiled 265 wins, which is the most in MAAC history.
•  In his time on Monteagle Ridge, Mihalich led the Purple Eagles to two NCAA tournament appearances, three NIT appearances, two MAAC Championships and four MAAC regular season titles
•              He was named the MAAC Coach of the Year three times and the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 1 Coach of the Year twice and was the 2012-13 Skip Prosser Man of the Year.


Player of the Week
•  Marcus Hammond earned the first MAAC Player of the Week award of the season on Nov. 15 after his phenomenal week for the Purple Eagles against Xavier and No. 17 Ohio State.
•  Hammond led all scorers at Xavier with 25 points. He shot 9-for-17 from the field and made four 3-pointers. He brought down six rebounds and went 3-for-3 from the foul line.
•  At No. 17 Ohio State, Hammond led the Purple Eagles with 22 points. He also had six rebounds, three assists and made four 3-pointers.
•  On the week, Hammond averaged 23.5 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game and 2.0 assists per game. He shot 51.6 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from 3-point range.


Ohio State Of Mind
•  The Purple Eagles played their first five games of the 2021-22 season in the state of Ohio.
•              Niagara headed to Cincinnati to open the season at Xavier on Tuesday, Nov. 9. Following Xavier, the Purple Eagles took a trip to Columbus to face No. 17 Ohio State and then played three games at Youngstown State as part of the YSU/J. Arnold Wealth Management Company Basketball Tournament.

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