It will be a battle between Metro Atlantic Athletic opponents when the Niagara Purple Eagles (6-18) welcome the Iona Gaels (13-9) to Gallagher Center. Action begins at 2:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 7.
The Purple Eagles were beaten by Rider 66-60 on Friday. Matt Scott had a good game in defeat for Niagara, recording 16 points and 11 rebounds to earn his sixth double-double of the season. The Gaels, meanwhile, are coming off an 84-66 win over Canisius on Friday. Deyshonee Much was the game’s top scorer, accounting for 30 points on 10-for-15 shooting.
Scott has really been playing well as of late for the Purple Eagles, averaging 24.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.4 three-pointers over the last five games.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Gaels won the first game 65-52. Jordan Washington had a stellar game with 20 points, eight rebounds, one assist, and two blocks.
The Purple Eagles come into this game 6-18 Straight Up (SU) and 11-9-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games, but have found ways to get wins, going 7-3 SU. The Purple Eagles have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 78.3 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 63.7 points per game.
In the other locker room, the Gaels have 13-9 SU and 8-13 ATS records. Offensively, they average 79.1 points per game, which is good for 44th in the country. The Gaels are an excellent long-range shooting team with 217 three-point shots made (9.0 per game), ranking 22nd in Division I. The Gaels are one of the top teams in the country at finding the open man with an average of 16.4 assists per game. The last 10 games have really brought out the best of the Gaels on the defensive end. They’ve allowed 68.7 points per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 75.3.
Iona beat Niagara in their most recent meeting this season, bringing its SU record in their most recent games to 9-1. At 5-5, they are even ATS. Neither team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers over the course of their latest five contests.
Predictions: SU Winner – Iona, ATS Winner – Iona
Notes
Iona averages 79.1 points per game (ranked 44th). Niagara, on the other hand, allows 70.5 points per game (ranked 131st).
Iona won its last game by an 18-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Niagara is 0-2. Iona is 3-2 in blowouts this season.
Iona beats Niagara in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Gaels average 72.3 possessions and 1.095 points per possession, while the Purple Eagles average 67.0 possessions with .950 points per possession.
Niagara has an average effective field goal percentage of 45.4%. Iona is a losing 4-8 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Niagara Purple Eagles attempt 18.0 three point field goals per game and the Iona Gaels attempt 26.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Niagara is winless (0-8), while Iona is 13-9.
Iona ranks 69th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.24. Niagara is ranked lower at 341st with an A/TO of .72.
Niagara makes an average of 5.5 steals per game. When Iona gives up 5 or more steals, the team has an even 7-7 record.
