GAME NOTES: The Niagara Purple Eagles will try to remain in the win column when they host the Fairfield Stags this afternoon in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference battle at the Gallagher Center. The Stags have stumbled lately, losing five of their last seven matchups, including two in a row. The last time Fairfield was on the court the team suffered an embarrassing, 88-60 loss to Canisius. The recent skid has dropped the Stags to a mere 5-6 in league action. As for the Purple Eagles, they were scheduled to take on Loyola-Maryland this past Friday, but inclement weather postponed the game to a later date. The last time Niagara was on the court, the team defeated this same Fairfield squad by a 73-61 margin. It was the second consecutive win for Niagara which is now 7-3 in MAAC play. The 12-point win over Fairfield last Sunday, extended Niagara's lead over the Stags to 31-19 in the all-time series.

The Stags' main problem this season has been their play offensively, as the team is netting a mere 63.1 ppg, while shooting just 41.5 percent from the floor. Jonathan Han is the only player netting double figures for Fairfield, as the guard is posting 10.9 ppg to go along with 125 assists. The offensive woes for Fairfield continued this past Friday, as the team fell to Canisius, 88-60. In the loss, the Stags shot a pathetic 33.3 percent from the floor and made just 5-of-14 attempts from behind the arc. Han led the way with 14 points and five assists, while Mike Evanovich and Yorel Hawkins contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Purple Eagles have soared offensively, as the team is producing 75.8 ppg. However, Niagara is only shooting 39.1 percent from the floor and just 32.0 percent from long range. Charron Fisher has been the main scoring threat for Niagara, as the guard is averaging a whopping 26.9 ppg, which is second best in the nation. Fisher is also collecting a team-high 9.1 rpg. Tyrone Lewis is only shooting 38.7 percent from the floor, but the guard is still averaging 16.4 ppg. Stanley Hodge has also contributed offensively, and is currently chipping in 11.7 ppg to go along with 5.7 rpg. The last time Niagara was on the court the team shot 42.6 percent from the field and was led by Lewis, who poured in 27 points. As for Fisher, he added an impressive 25 points and also collected eight rebounds.

The Purple Eagles should continue to soar this afternoon, as the team has too much firepower offensively. Expect Fisher to dominate Fairfield in this contest.