QU Men's Basketball Opens MAAC Play Friday At Niagara

Friday, December 4

Gallahger Center - Niagara Falls, NY

7:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

Niagara University

QU Men's Basketball Opens MAAC Play Friday At Niagara

12/3/2015 9:47:00 AM | Men's Basketball

By: QU Sports Information

Quinnipiac Bobcats (2-3, 0-0 MAAC) vs.
Niagara Purple Eagles (2-5, 0-0 MAAC)
Date: Friday, Dec. 4
Time: 7 PM
Location: Gallagher Center (Niagara, N.Y.)
All-Time Series vs. Niagara: QU 5-1 (4-1 MAAC)
Last Meeting: QU 91-69, 2/8/15 at QU

Follow The Game
Live Audio: WQUN Internet (PxP: Bob Mortali; Color: Bob Tipson)
Live Stats: PurpleEagles.com
Live Video: PurpleEagles.com
QU MBB Twitter: @QU_MBB

Game Notes
Quinnipiac | Niagara

HAMDEN, Conn. - The Quinnipiac men's basketball team begins MAAC play when it travels to Buffalo this weekend to face Niagara on Friday evening at 7 p.m. and Canisius on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The Bobcats enter conference play with a 2-3 overall record after a tough 58-54 loss to defending America East champion Albany on Tuesday at home. The Great Danes were 15-1 in league play a year ago, making Quinnipiac's last two non-conference opponents a combined 31-1 in league play last season, after a 68-58 win over N.C. Central on Nov. 24, which was 16-0 in the MEAC. Despite the loss, the Bobcats did block a season-high 13 shots against Albany, moving them in the national lead in team blocks per game with 8.2, as junior forward Donovan Smith (Chicago, Ill.) had four, and sophomore forwards Samuel Dingba (Yaounde, Cameroon - pictured) and Chaise Daniels (Meriden, Conn.) each had three. Daniels averages a team-best 3.6 blocks per game, which ranks fifth nationally among individuals.

The last time Quinnipiac traveled to Niagara, it fell on the short end of a wild 105-100 double-overtime defeat last January. Graduated seniors Zaid Hearst and Evan Conti each had 26 to lead the Bobcats, with Hearst's tying layup with four seconds left forcing the extra sessions, while Dominique Reed led Niagara with 20. The Bobcats won the rematch at home a week later, as Conti finished with 21 and current senior James Ford, Jr. (Hopewell, Va.) added 11 to help overcome a 32-point effort from Niagara's Emile Blackman and improve Quinnipiac to 5-1 all-time in the series with Niagara (4-0 in the MAAC).

Junior guard Daniel Harris (Tampa, Fla.) also continued his torrid second half play in the Albany game, scoring 17 of his game-high 19 points in the second half. Harris has scored 80 percent of his points this season in the second half (48 of 60), including 11 of his team-high 14 three-pointers. His back-to-back threes on two straight possessions tied the score 48-48 against Albany, before the Great Danes won down the stretch at the foul line, where they were 19-28 on the evening, compared to just 5-7 for the Bobcats.

The Purple Eagles come into this weekend with a 2-5 overall record after consecutive losses to Hartford and Youngstown State. Matt Scott has been the primary catalyst for the team offensively, leading with 17.3 points per game (on 48.8 percent shooting), to go along with a team-best 28 assists (4.0 per game) and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per contest. Emile Blackman (14.0 ppg) and Justin Satchell (11.4 ppg) are also in double figures in scoring. Niagara's achilles heel early in the season has been behind the arc, where the Purple Eagles are shooting just 28.1 percent, while allowing opponents to shoot 38.7.

The Bobcats will have a quick turnaround before facing Canisius on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. in a game that will be shown on ESPN3. Quinnipiac will then have a shorter road trip to face Hartford on Wednesday in a non-conference game before returning home to the TD Bank Center to meet Boston University on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.