The Dukes open the gym doors of the AJ Palumbo Center averaging 100.0 points per game and holding their opponents to 33.3 percent shooting from the floor. Duquesne is looking for it’s best start in over 21 years with a home win.
Quick Starts
With a win over Duquesne on Saturday, the Purple Eagles will have the third 3-0 start under head coach Joe Mihalich, and the first since the 2003-04 season. That year, Niagara advanced to the MAAC Championship game and the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).
Defense! Defense!
While the Purple Eagles are well-known for their fast and powerful offensive attack, it was their defensive pressure that was key to the 80-63 victory over rival Buffalo on Tuesday. Niagara forced 26 turnovers in the win, the most since forcing 23 against UB last season. The Purple Eagles forced 20 turnovers twice last year, and 19 in the 78-74 win over Duquesne last December.
The trio of Niagara guards, senior Stanley Hodge, sophomore Tyrone Lewis and freshman Anthony Nelson, was a huge factor in the season-high 15 steals in the UB contest. Niagara’s defense also turned away seven shots in the win.
Agent Zero
With most defenses keying in on Niagara’s pair of preseason All-MAAC selections, senior Charron Fisher and sophomore Tyrone Lewis, senior guard Stanley Hodge (wears 0 jersey) could find more and more open looks throughout the season.
No. 0 torched the nets for a career-high 20 points in the Purple Eagles’ 80-63 victory over Buffalo on Tuesday. Hodge, who led the team in assists each of the past two seasons, will be counted on in the scoring department more this season. The senior leads the team assists (12), rebounds (14) and three-pointers (5).
Niagara vs. Dukes
Last seasons 78-74 Niagara win was the first meeting of the two teams since 1983. Duquesne owns the all-time series record at 12-7, including a 7-1 mark against the Purple Eagles in Pittsburgh. The Dukes are also 2-0 against Niagara on a neutral floor, including a 66-51 win in the 1954 NIT semifinal at Madison Square Garden.
Eagle’s Eye On Niagara
- The Purple Eagles are 2-0 for the fourth time under head coach Joe Mihalich and look to improve to 3-0 for the third time with a win over the Dukes. Niagara’s fast and powerful offensive attack (79.5 ppg) has been paced by its defensive pressure. NU is forcing 21.0 turnovers per game while converting 11.0 steals per game.
- Niagara is shooting 42.1 percent from the floor and 33.9 percent from behind the arc. The Purple Eagle defense is holding the opposition to 37.8 percent shooting.
- Charron Fisher leads the team with 24.5 ppg in the early going this season. The senior scored a game-high 27 points in the win over UB on Tuesday. Fisher is tied for the team lead in rebounds (7.0) and three-point baskets (5). No. 24 buried a three-pointer for his first basket of the season, giving him 1,000 career points. He currently ranks 36th on the all-time charts with 1,048 career points.
- Tyrone Lewis ranks second on the squad with a 22.0 per game average. No. 2 scored a career-high 26 points the season opening win against Central Michigan. Last season Lewis burst onto the season, becoming the first freshman to win the MAAC Tournament MVP award after averaging 19.7 ppg in the conference championships.
- At the start of the season, Mihalich noted the need for more scoring from Stanley Hodge. The senior responded with a career performance against UB, scoring 20 points in the 80-63 win. Hodge leads the team with 12 assists, 14 rebounds, 10 defensive boards and five three-point baskets.
- Anthony Nelson has started his Purple Eagle career with a bang. He ranks fourth on the team with a 10.0 ppg average, second with 11 assists and first with six steals. He was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor in his Purple Eagle debut, scoring 13 points.
- Benson Egemonye will provide a shot-blocking presence for the Purple Eagles on the defensive side of the ball. He has turned away a team-high three shots this year.
- Kamau Gordon and Andrew Patterson will be counted on in larger roles in their third season. Both players saw valuable minutes last year after redshirting in 2005-06.
- Demetruis Williamson comes to Niagara after playing in the junior college ranks a year ago. The versatile forward will be used in numerous roles for Mihalich’s staff.
- Kashief Edwards enters the collegiate ranks after averaging 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game for Imhotep Charter High School in Philadelphia. The explosive forward could see important minutes in the early going for Niagara.
Eagle’s Eye On Duquesne
- The Dukes extended their season-opening streak to four games with a win over Oakland, 92-77 on Tuesday. Head coach Ron Everhart’s crew is 2-0 on the road and 2-0 at home. Last season, the Dukes ranked 324th out of 325 Division I teams in field goal percentage defense with a .507 total. This year, Duqesne has held all four opponents to a percentage under .350.
- The Dukes enter the game averaging 100.0 points per game, including a 129-point performance in their season-opening win over Howard on Nov. 9. Duquesne has won its four games by an average margin of 35.5.
- Junior Kojo Mensah leads the starters with a 16.0 average. The guard had 20 points and 13 rebounds in the Dukes win over Oakland on Tuesday.
- Junior Shawn James is third on the team with 13.3 ppg, but is making headlines for his defensive effort against Oakland. The 6-foot-10 center set a team and conference record with 12 blocks in just 22 minutes of play.
- Graduate student Kieron Achara comes off the bench for the Dukes, but leads them in scoring with a 16.5 average. The forward is shooting 64.7 percent from the floor.
- Freshman Damian Saunders leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game while scoring at a 12.5 average off the bench.
- Bill Clark is likely to get the starting nod, averaging 9.8 ppg and 8.0 rpg as a freshman.
Last Meeting
Niagara 78, Duquesne 74 - Dec. 16, 2006
Clif Brown, J.R. Duffey and Lorenzo Miles combined for 46 points in the four-point victory at the Gallagher Center. Then-freshman Tyrone Lewis scored 16 points, including three long-distance shots, and Stanley Hodge had a game-high 10 assists in the win. Kieron Achara scored 17 points and had seven rebounds for Duquesne.
Big Time Performance
Sophomore Tyrone Lewis had a huge hand in the season-opening victory against Central Michigan on Nov. 16. The 5-foot-11 guard scored a career-high 26 points while grabbing a team-best seven rebounds.
When Niagara’s lead shrunk to just two points, Lewis responded with an 11-0 run. The preseason All-MAAC pick nailed a pair of three-pointers, sank a fast-break lay-up and added another long-range shot in a 1:33 span to kick the lead back to 13 and secure the victory.
Big Time Milestone
Senior Charron Fisher needed just one point in the season opener to become the 39th member of Niagara’s 1,000 point club, but in true Fisher fashion, the 6-foot-3 swingman buried a three-pointer in the first 40 seconds of the game for the milestone.
Fisher became the 11th player under head coach Joe Mihalich to reach the 1,000 point plateau. He finished the game with 22 points and six rebounds.
Fresh Debut for Freshman
The Purple Eagles handed the point guard duties over to a freshman in the season opener and the rookie responded with an amazing performance. Anthony Nelson scored 13 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the floor. The 6-foot-1 guard filled the stat sheet with five rebounds, four assists and game-high three steals.
Nelson nailed a three-pointer with 3:20 remaining to stretch the Niagara lead to nine points and put the game out of reach.
Electric Atmosphere
The Purple Eagles rode the momentum of a loud, proud sellout crowd to a 79-73 victory over Central Michigan on Nov. 16. The University of Dayton’s Pep Band returned to the side of head coach Joe Mihalich’s bunch, performing prior to the game and at halftime.
Niagara President Fr. Joseph Levesque unveiled last season’s MAAC Championship banner just before tip-off, filling the gym with an electric feeling.
The Purple Eagles took that atmosphere and ran with it, all the way to a 20-4 lead in the first six minutes of the game. When the Chippewas chipped away at the early lead, the crowd got behind its team and helped propel an 11-0 run that sealed the win.
A Decade of Excellence
Starting tonight, head coach Joe Mihalich will begin his 10th season on the bench inside the Gallagher Center. Mihalich, the longest-tenured head coach in the MAAC, has earned a 161-133 career record while on Monteagle Ridge.
The head coach has led Niagara to three MAAC regular-season titles, a pair of MAAC Championships, two NCAA Tournament appearances and one NCAA win. Mihalich has been honored as the MAAC Coach of the year twice, while picking up the 2006-07 New York State Coach of the Year award.
Preseason Praise
A pair of Purple Eagles garnered preseason praise. Senior Charron Fisher and sophomore Tyrone Lewis were each named to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team. Last season, Fisher landed on the All-MAAC First Team, while Lewis was named to the rookie team as well as being named the 2007 MAAC Tournament MVP.
Fisher also was named to the Preseason Second-Team Mid-Major All-America Team by CollegeHoops.net.
Needing a Helping Hand
This year’s squad will be looking for multiple players to fill the void of the 2007 graduating class. Clif Brown, J.R. Duffey, Lorenzo Miles and Greg Noel were responsible for two MAAC Championships, a pair of NCAA Tournament bids and one NCAA Tournament win.
The ‘07 class contributed 40.3 points, 19.7 rebounds and 174 three-pointers during last season’s postseason run. This season, a handful of players, including senior Stanley Hodge, junior Benson Egemonye and sophomore Andrew Patterson, will look to help fill the void.
Number Shuffle
Not only will Purple Eagle fans have to adjust to numerous new faces on the court, but four familiar faces will don new numbers this season. When senior Stanley Hodge decided to switch his jersey to No. 0, his old No. 2 was free for the pickin’. Sophomore guard Tyrone Lewis made the switch to No. 2 after wearing No. 20 in his freshman season. David Cirincione grabbed Lewis’ old number after wearing No. 40 in his first season as a walk-on. Benson Egemonye was not left out of the shuffle, as the 6-foot-10 center will wear the big purple No. 25 this season, after wearing No. 15 last year.
Intense Practices
Basketball has stepped up a few notches inside the Gallagher Center with the addition of two BIG EAST transfers to the roster. Since NCAA rules prohibit the duo to play in any games until the 2008-09 season, the two are limited to practices.
Niagara Falls native Rob Garrison returns home after spending the last two seasons at UConn. Bilal Benn will be eligible next season, coming from Villanova. With Garrison’s leadership ability at the point and Benn’s sharp-shooting tendencies, practice time in the ‘Taps’ has become as good as game-time scenarios.