NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
The Niagara Purple Eagles, winner of three straight, are back on the road for a pair of games, beginning on Wednesday against the Cleveland State Vikings at 7:30 p.m.
Scene Setter
• Niagara’s last four games have been decided by less than four points, including the last three coming down to the final possessions.
• Keleaf Tate’s 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds on the clock lifted the Purple Eagles to their third straight win with a 77-74 victory over the Cornell Big Red on December 16.
• Niagara boasts victories against opponents from the ACC (Pitt), Atlantic-10 (St. Bonaventure) and Mountain West Conference (Wyoming).
• The Purple Eagles held off the Vikings to win 79-77 at the Gallagher Center last December in the first meeting between the programs since the 1987-88 season. Marvin Prochet had a block and a steal in the final possession to deny the Vikings.
• The Purple Eagles are looking to start the month of December 4-0 for the first time since December 1980 when NU won five straight games to open December.
Tipoff Tidbits
• Four Purple Eagles are averaging double figures scoring – Marvin Prochet (19.8 ppg), Dominic Robb (12.8 ppg), James Towns (12.4 ppg), and Keleaf Tate (10.6 ppg).
• The Purple Eagles have the longest win streak in the MAAC at three games.
• Marvin Prochet became the 47th member of Niagara’s 1,000-Point Club on December 16.
• Dominic Robb moved into second place on the career blocks list after a four-block performance at Pitt. Robb is now 33 blocks away from tying Joe Arlauckas (’87) who finished his career with 220 blocks, for first place.
• For the second straight week, a Purple Eagle was named MAAC Player of the Week. Marvin Prochet was selected as MAAC Player of the Week on December 17, one week after James Towns earned his first career MAAC Player of the Week award.
• Dominic Robb leads the MAAC and is fourth in the nation in blocks per game (3.4) and is eighth in total blocks (31).
• Marvin Prochet leads the MAAC and is 18th in the nation in double-doubles with five.
• Dominic Robb established a new career-high in blocks with eight, including seven in the first half, which are tied for the second most blocks in a game in program history. The eight blocks are also tied for fifth most in the nation this season. Robb has three of the top-8 most blocks in a game in Niagara history.
• In the win at Pitt, the Purple Eagles had their highest rebound margin (+7) of the season.
• The Purple Eagles lead the MAAC and are 23rd in the nation in free throw percentage.
• The Purple Eagles are the only team in the MAAC to have three players record a double-double (Marvin Prochet, Dominic Robb, Greg Kuakumensah) this season.
• Niagara is 10-1 in games decided by less than four points since the 2017-18 season.
On The Court
Cleveland State Vikings (4-8, 0-0 Horizon League)
• Cleveland State was tabbed seventh in the 2018-19 Horizon League Preseason Poll. The Vikings made a run to the 2018 Horizon League Championship game as the eighth seed.
• Sophomore guard Tyree Appleby was selected to the Preseason All-League First Team to be the first Viking named to the team since the 2014-15 season.
• The Vikings are 4-8 on the season, with all four wins coming at home.
• Tyree Appleby leads CSU in scoring with 16.8 points per game and is followed by Stefan Kenic with 11.8 points per contest.
• Rashad Williams was named Horizon League Freshman of the Week on December 16 after scoring 25 points, including making seven 3-pointers which are the most ever by a Viking freshman in program history.
Against The Vikings (Niagara leads 5-3)
• The Purple Eagles won last season’s meeting, 79-77, at the Gallagher Center in the first meeting since December 1987.
• The home team in the series is unbeaten.
Last Meeting – December 19, 2017
Niagara 79, Cleveland State 77
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Kahlil Dukes scored a game-high 21 points as the Purple Eagles held off the Cleveland State Vikings, 79-77, on Tuesday night.
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