MAAC Basketball Championship Spotlights: Niagara Purple Eagles
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. – With the 2015 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships quickly approaching, the league will begin to spotlight each of its 11 member institutions’ men’s and women’s programs leading up to championship week. Today’s school scheduled to be featured is Niagara University.
Niagara Men’s Basketball
Preseason Poll Pick vs. Current Standing (as of Feb. 23): Picked to finish 11th in the preseason coaches’ poll, Niagara is currently tied for ninth in the league standings with Fairfield, as both teams own 5-13 conference marks. Despite their current record, the Purple Eagles have secured a handful of signature wins, topping defending MAAC Champion, Manhattan, on Jan. 10 and taking down second-place Rider on the road on Feb. 21. Niagara possesses the third-youngest team in the NCAA according to KenPom.com, as the roster features 12 total underclassmen.
Player to Watch: Emile Blackman
After averaging 10.1 points per game through the first half of the season, sophomore Emile Blackman has averaged 16.6 points per game over the Purple Eagles’ last 12 contents. Blackman has put up double figures in all but one of NU’s last 12 games to up his season scoring average to a team-best 13.6 points per game, good for 11th in the MAAC. Against Quinnipiac on Feb. 8, Blackman poured in a career-best 32 points to become the first Purple Eagle to score 30-plus points on the season, and lead Niagara to a double-overtime win over the Bobcats.
Top Play of 2014-15 (as of Feb. 23): Watch Here
Breakthrough Performance(s) (as of Feb. 23):
The Purple Eagles picked up their second-straight win on Feb. 21, toppling second-place Rider, 65-61, in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The young, maturing Purple Eagles showed tremendous progress as they came up with key defensive stops and made clutch free throws in the final seconds to depart Alumni Gymnasium with their first win since Jan. 14, 2007. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Broncs, who entered the contest against Niagara as winners of 15 of their last 18 games.
Niagara Women’s Basketball
Preseason Poll Pick vs. Current Standing (as of Feb. 23):
Picked to finish fifth in the 2014-15 Coaches’ Preseason Poll, the Purple Eagles are currently tied for fifth in the MAAC standings with Siena at 9-9. Niagara has won five of its last seven, which includes wins over the Marist Red Foxes, who was picked as the co-preseason favorite. The Purple Eagles boast the fourth-best scoring offense in the league, averaging 64.6 points per game through 27 games.
Player to Watch: Victoria Rampado
Sophomore forward Victoria Rampado leads the Purple Eagles in multiple statistical categories; including scoring average, field goal percentage, and rebounds. Her 12.7 points per game is tied with teammate Meghan McGuinness as the team-best, and also ranks eighth in the conference. Rampado was named the MAAC Player of the Week on Jan. 12, as she averaged 20.5 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game in two games for NU, highlighted by a career-high 27 point, 14 rebound performance against league-leader Quinnipiac.
Top Play of 2014-15 (as of Feb. 23): Watch Here
Breakthrough Performance(s) (as of Feb. 23):
The Purple Eagles topped defending MAAC Champion and co-preseason favorite, Marist, in Poughkeepsie, New York, on Feb. 14 to hand the second-ranked team its fourth league loss of the season. The victory marked Niagara’s first defeat of Marist since the 2010 campaign. Additionally, it was the first time the Purple Eagles have downed the Red Foxes on their home court since 2001.
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The next spotlight, set to be released on Tuesday, Feb. 24, will feature the Quinnipiac men’s and women’s programs.
The 2015 season culminates at the 2015 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, March 5-9. Tickets for the championships are available online at ticketmaster.com.
For the full men’s basketball schedule, visits maacsports.com and remember to follow the conversation on twitter using #MAACHoops and #MAACHoops15.