MAAC Monday: Niagara’s road takes on double meaning, stat leaders, power rankings

By Jaden Daly (@DalyDoseOfHoops) and Pete Janny (@pete_janny)

MAAC Monday returns from a weeklong hiatus today, and opens with Pete’s recap of Sunday’s battle of the top two teams in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, one that Niagara won by a convincing 14 points over league leader Quinnipiac. From there, an updated set of stat leaders and power rankings will follow.

A minor programming note here: The quick hits segment will return next week.

HAMDEN, Conn. — The body of work so far from a new-look Niagara roster assembled over the offseason has been everything Greg Paulus has wanted for his Purple Eagles.

Add in Niagara’s hard-nosed mentality on the road, which has translated to winning its first seven conference road games, including a hard-fought 80-66 victory on Sunday over first-place Quinnipiac at M&T Bank Arena, and the Purple Eagles look like a legitimate contender to win the MAAC for the first time since 2007, when Joe Mihalich brought a second conference crown to Monteagle Ridge.

There was no better outcome to the Purple Eagles’ Connecticut swing than what they rendered over the course of this weekend, which could prove to be the big turning point for how the Purple Eagles view themselves and are viewed around the conference.

Leg one was made complete on Friday with a 65-63 win over Fairfield. Then, Niagara used a big second half in Hamden on Sunday to hand the Bobcats their first loss on York Hill since a 73-66 setback to Yale way back on December 11.

Quinnipiac is undoubtedly a different team today compared to when it last lost at home more than two months ago. As a result, Paulus knew this would be one of his team’s biggest challenges to date, and the Purple Eagles responded by passing leg two with flying colors. 

“Quinnipiac is a terrific team and is having an unbelievable season,” Paulus said after his team outscored the Bobcats, 43-29, in the second half to emerge victorious for the fourth time in its last five games. “We did a great job knocking down the free throws with confidence, and I really liked the shots we took from the three-point line.”

Trailing 30-21 after a mid-range jumper from Matt Balanc with 5:21 left in the first half, Niagara turned on the jets and got right back in it. Braxton Bayless nailed a three which cut the deficit to 30-24, and Quandre Bullock scored 11 of Niagara’s last 13 points of the half to even the score at 37 by the break. Bullock’s last points of the half came on a heads-up pass from Luke Bumbalough while Quinnipiac was slow to get back on defense following a missed free throw from JJ Riggins. The teardrop floater from Bullock went through the net just before the final horn sounded, sending the Bobcats into the locker room with sudden agita about how things were starting to turn in favor of the visitors.

Niagara continued to rip Quinnipiac’s hearts out into the second half, when Kwane Marble opened up the action with a three that gave Niagara its first lead of the day at 40-37. Bullock poured in a trio of threes in each half, and his sixth trifecta, at the 9:40 mark of the second half, gave the visitors their largest advantage of the afternoon to that point, at 62-53. Bullock and Bayless had their fingerprints all over the Purple Eagles’ execution on an afternoon where the former finished with a career-high 26 points and the latter scored 18.

Over the final eight minutes, Quinnipiac cut the deficit to four three separate times, but was unable to make one last play to get itself over the hump. With Bullock keeping close tabs on Balanc, the senior guard couldn’t reproduce his first-half success when he scored 13 points, and instead was held to four points over the final 15 minutes of regulation. Balanc finished with 22 points on 4-of-11 shooting from long range to lead the Bobcats.

Behind Bullock’s career night and clutch baskets from Bayless, the Purple Eagles slammed the door shut on Quinnipiac’s comeback hopes by being scrappy defensively and going a perfect 27-for-27 at the free throw line. Niagara also outrebounded Quinnipiac, 17-11, in the second half and forced the Bobcats into 2-of-11 shooting from three-point range in the final stanza.

“This team had tremendous focus today,” Paulus said. “When you play hard and you play together, hopefully you are able to make some winning plays.”

Paulus was demonstrative at times on the sideline, pleading his case to the officials on a few second-half no-calls and even hitting his fist on the scorer’s table when one offensive possession ended in a miscommunication between Ahmad Henderson and Harlan Obioha. Emotions were not part of the tactics for getting across to his players, according to Paulus, but instead a natural response to the ebbs and flows of the game. 

“There’s a time and score, and there’s a time to push and time to execute,” said Paulus, whose Purple Eagles occupy second place in the MAAC standings by virtue of their regular season sweep of Fairfield. “We still have to learn how to win in different ways and learn how to be consistent.”

Niagara can and should appreciate its growth in a sport where fortunes can change quickly. Paulus is only 37 years old, but is now a veteran in these ranks in his fifth year at the helm, and wired on the importance of being able to peak at the right time. Last season, Niagara lost four of five games heading into Atlantic City, and has no plans of reliving that experience. 

“In this league, it’s so competitive. My message to the team is, ‘let’s keep working and getting better.’”

Scoring Leaders

1) Mervin James, Rider (18.6 PPG)

2) Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac (18.5)

3) Dakota Leffew, Mount St. Mary’s (17.4)

T-4) Caleb Fields, Fairfield (16.0)

T-4) Greg Gordon, Iona (15.4)

6) Jalen Leach, Fairfield (15.8)

7) Tre Dinkins, Canisius (15.2)

8) Siem Uijtendaal, Canisius (13.7)

9) Idan Tretout, Iona (13.7)

10) Brycen Goodine, Fairfield (13.4)

Rebounding Leaders

1) Frank Mitchell, Canisius (11.3 RPG)

2) Seydou Traore, Manhattan (8.3)

3) Harlan Obioha, Niagara (7.8)

4) Greg Gordon, Iona (7.3)

5) Amarri Tice, Quinnipiac (7.1)

6) Paul Otieno, Quinnipiac (6.9)

7) Tariq Ingraham, Rider (6.4)

8) Giovanni Emejuru, Siena (6.3)

9) Mervin James, Rider (6.2)

10) Jasper Floyd, Fairfield (6.2)

Assist Leaders

1) Savion Lewis, Quinnipiac (7.3 APG)

2) Jaden Winston, Manhattan (4.8)

3) Jasper Floyd, Fairfield (4.6)

4) Latrell Reid, Saint Peter’s (4.2)

5) Dakota Leffew, Mount St. Mary's (3.8)

6) Tre Dinkins, Canisius (3.6)

7) Joel Brown, Iona (3.5)

8) Corey McKeithan, Rider (3.5)

T-9) Luke Bumbalough, Niagara (3.2)

T-9) Jeremiah Quigley, Iona (3.2)

Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) Paul Otieno, Quinnipiac (.617)

2) Harlan Obioha, Niagara (.600)

3) Frank Mitchell, Canisius (.576)

4) Giovanni Emejuru, Siena (.555)

5) Greg Gordon, Iona (.545)

6) Daniel Rouzan, Manhattan (.535)

7) Max Allen, Marist (.527)

8) Braxton Bayless, Niagara (.524)

9) Jean Aranguren, Iona (.520)

10) Mervin James, Rider (.519)

Free Throw Percentage Leaders

1) Jalen Leach, Fairfield (.896)

2) Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac (.882)

3) Braxton Bayless, Niagara (.857)

4) Jasper Floyd, Fairfield (.838)

5) Siem Uijtendaal, Canisius (.836)

6) Ahmad Henderson, Niagara (.831)

7) Roy Clarke, Saint Peter’s (.831)

8) Tre Dinkins, Canisius (.829)

9) Mervin James, Rider (.825)

10) Jeremiah Quigley, Iona (.798)

3-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) Brycen Goodine, Fairfield (.467)

2) Javon Cooley, Marist (.444)

3) Caleb Fields, Fairfield (.405)

4) Siem Uijtendaal, Canisius (.385)

5) Luke Bumbalough, Niagara (.381)

6) Tre Dinkins, Canisius (.378)

7) Corey McKeithan, Rider (.378)

8) Josh Pascarelli, Marist (.376)

9) Josh Reaves, Mount St. Mary’s (.376)

10) Amarri Tice, Quinnipiac (.367)

Steal Leaders

1) Jasper Floyd, Fairfield (2.5 SPG)

2) Jaden Winston, Manhattan (2.2)

3) Joel Brown, Iona (2.1)

4) Amarri Tice, Quinnipiac (1.9)

5) De’Shayne Montgomery, Mount St. Mary’s (1.8)

Blocked Shot Leaders

1) Seydou Traore, Manhattan (1.2 BPG)

2) Killian Gribben, Siena (1.2)

3) Paul Otieno, Quinnipiac (1.1)

4) Jaden Daughtry, Marist (1.0)

5) Amarri Tice, Quinnipiac (1.0)

Power Rankings

1) Quinnipiac (19-6, 11-3 MAAC)

Last Week: 1

Last Game: Sunday 2/18 vs. Niagara (L 80-66)

Next Game: Friday 2/23 vs. Fairfield, 9 p.m.

2) Niagara (15-11, 10-5 MAAC)

Last Week: 2

Last Game: Sunday 2/18 at Quinnipiac (W 80-66)

Next Game: Friday 2/23 at Canisius, 7 p.m.

3) Fairfield (16-10, 10-5 MAAC)

Last Week: 3

Last Game: Sunday 2/18 vs. Mount St. Mary’s (W 94-80)

Next Game: Friday 2/23 at Quinnipiac, 9 p.m.

4) Marist (14-9, 9-5 MAAC)

Last Week: 6

Last Game: Friday 2/16 vs. Canisius (W 78-55)

Next Game: Friday 2/23 at Manhattan, 7 p.m.

5) Saint Peter’s (13-11, 9-6 MAAC)

Last Week: 4

Last Game: Sunday 2/18 at Iona (W 59-53)

Next Game: Friday 2/23 at Mount St. Mary’s, 7 p.m.

6) Iona (11-10, 6-4 MAAC)

Last Week: 5

Last Game: Sunday 2/18 vs. Saint Peter’s (L 59-53)

Next Game: Friday 2/23 at Rider, 7 p.m.

7) Rider (10-16, 7-8 MAAC)

Last Week: 7

Last Game: Sunday 2/18 at Manhattan (W 104-62)

Next Game: Friday 2/23 vs. Iona, 7 p.m.

8) Mount St. Mary’s (11-15, 7-8 MAAC)

Last Week: 8

Last Game: Sunday 2/18 at Fairfield (L 94-80)

Next Game: Friday 2/23 vs. Saint Peter’s, 7 p.m.

9) Canisius (10-14, 5-10 MAAC)

Last Week: 9

Last Game: Sunday 2/18 at Siena (W 73-64)

Next Game: Friday 2/23 vs. Niagara, 7 p.m.

10) Siena (4-22, 3-12 MAAC)

Last Week: 11

Last Game: Sunday 2/18 vs. Canisius (L 73-64)

Next Game: Sunday 2/25 at Fairfield, 2 p.m.

11) Manhattan (5-19, 2-13 MAAC)

Last Week: 10

Last Game: Sunday 2/18 vs. Rider (L 104-62)

Next Game: Friday 2/23 vs. Marist, 7 p.m.