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The Niagara Purple Eagles will play at the World's Most Famous Arena on Sunday when they face the Iona Gaels at 4:30 p.m. The matchup is the second game of a doubleheader featuring the Duke Blue Devils and the St. John's Red Storm.
 
The Purple Eagles have a long history at MSG. NU, which played its first game there in 1936, has made numerous trips to the Garden for decades where it played programs like UCLA, Syracuse and St. John's. Niagara has made nine trips to the Garden as part of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), going 7-9 in 16 games.
 
Niagara has a 24-24 all-time record at MSG. Niagara's most recent game at MSG was against Princeton on Dec. 27, 1997 as part of the ECAC Holiday Tournament. The Purple Eagles and Gaels have played twice in the Garden, both in the 1960s. Iona won the first meeting 81-64 on Feb. 12, 1964 with Niagara winning the second encounter 104-78 on Feb. 15, 1969.
 
Tipoff Tidbits
•  Ramone Snowden is averaging 20.6 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game in three all-time meetings with Iona.
•  Emile Blackman led all scorers for the second straight game with an 18-point performance at Monmouth on Jan. 24. He scored a game-high 21 points versus Siena on Jan. 18. In his last three games, he is averaging a team-best 18 points per game and is averaging 6.0 rebounds per game.
•  NU had season-highs 79 points and 42 rebounds while shooting a season-best 77.8 percent from the free-throw line against Iona on Jan. 16.
•  Ramone Snowden is one of four players in the nation to lead his team in points (11.9 ppg), rebounds (6.0 rpg), blocks (nine) assists (49) and steals (23).
•  NU shot 67 percent from the field in the first half against Manhattan on Jan. 10 for its highest percentage in a half since shooting 67 percent in the second half against Northwestern State on Feb. 2, 2013.
•  Niagara had five players – Rayvon Harris, Ramone Snowden, Emile Blackman, Wesley Myers and Dominique Reid - in double figures against Arkansas State for the first time since Feb. 7, 2014 against Iona.
•  Snowden dished out a career-high seven assists against Arkansas State. The seven assists are the most since Tahjere McCall had seven versus Manhattan on Feb. 9, 2014.
•  The Purple Eagles had season-highs in first half points (42), field goal percentage (59.5%), 3-point field goal percentage (53.8%) and in assists (21) in the win over Manhattan.
•  Niagara's 21 assists against Manhattan on Jan. 2 are the most since having 21 versus Saint Peter's on March 2, 2013.
•  The Purple Eagles have used six different starting lineups this season and have had four different lineups the last four games.
• According to KenPom.com, Niagara is the FIFTH youngest team in the nation. NU has 13 underclassmen on the roster. 

How to Tune In
•  Fans can listen live to all the action from "The Voice of the Purple Eagles" Todd Callen on WGR 550 AM and on the Niagara Sports Network via PurpleEagles.com.

On The Court
Iona Gaels (14-6/7-2 MAAC)
•  The Gaels have won six of their last seven games, including a one-point win over the Purple Eagles on Jan. 16.
•  Iona ranks near the top of several offensive stats in the country and leads the conference in scoring, assists, 3-pointers, field goal percentage and assist/turnover ratio.
•  Iona has four players in double-figures scoring, including two averaging in 20-plus points in David Laury (20.9) and A.J. English (20.5).
 
Against the Gaels (Iona leads, 42-34)
•  The Purple Eagles have dropped nine of the last 11 meetings, including four straight.
•  The last time Niagara was able to defeat the Gaels was back on January 31, 2013 at the Gallagher Center.
•  Niagara and Iona have split two all-time meetings at Madison Square Garden.
 
Last Meeting - January 16, 2015
Iona 80, Niagara 79
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara Purple Eagles were 10 seconds away from topping conference-leading Iona before falling in the final seconds, 80-79, on Friday night at the Gallagher Center in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPNU.