Niagara Purple Eagles women's basketball
The Niagara Purple Eagles women's basketball team is the college basketball team that represent Niagara University in Lewiston, New York, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
| Niagara Purple Eagles | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | Niagara University | ||
| Head coach | Jada Pierce (8th season) | ||
| Conference | MAAC | ||
| Location | Lewiston, New York | ||
| Arena | Gallagher Center (Capacity: 2,400) | ||
| Nickname | Purple Eagles | ||
| Colors | Purple and white[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| AIAW tournament Final Four | |||
| Division II: 1979 | |||
| AIAW tournament Elite Eight | |||
| Division II: 1979 | |||
| AIAW tournament appearances | |||
| Division II: 1979, 1980 | |||
| WNIT Tournament Appearances | |||
| 2023 | |||
History
Niagara began play in 1974. They joined the MAAC in 1989. They have never made the NCAA tournament. Their brief achievements came in regional AIAWs, such as winning the New York AIAW Championship in 1978 and 1980 and the Eastern AIAW in 1979, with a Third Place finish in the AIAW Small College tournament. They made it to the ECAC North title game in 1986, losing to St. Anslem's 77–65 and lost to Saint Peter's 66–38 in the 1997 MAAC title game. They have reached the second round of the MAAC tournament numerous times but have never won it. As of the end of the 2015–16 season, the Purple Eagles have an all-time record of 456–575. In 2023 Niagara made history by reaching the WNIT tournament for the first time in program history. The Purple Eagles would ultimately fall to Green Bay in their first appearance in the tournament ending one of the best seasons in the history of Niagara women's basketball. [2]
Postseason
AIAW College Division/Division II
The Purple Eagles made two appearances in the AIAW National Division II Basketball Tournament, with a combined record of 3–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Third-place game |
San Francisco Charleston (WV) Dayton Tuskegee |
W, 56–52 W, 78–73 L, 59–76 W, 71–55 |
| 1980 | First round | Saint Peter's | L, 55–75 |
WNIT results
The Purple Eagles have appeared in 1 Women's National Invitation Tournament.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | First Round | Green Bay | L, 52-84 |
Roster
| Number | Name | Position | Height | Year | Previous School | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Marianna Freeman | Guard | 5'5" | Sophomore | Bishop Kearny | Rochester, New York |
| 1 | Shelby Fiddler | Guard | 5'9" | Freshman | Patrick Henry | Roanoke, Virginia |
| 2 | Brooklyn Jones | Guard | 5'7" | Junior | Taylor Allderdice | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 3 | Lexie Roe | Guard | 5'7" | Sophomore | Fayetteville-Manlius | Manlius, New York |
| 4 | Ary Hicks | Guard | 5'5" | Freshman | Charlotte High School | Punta Gorda, Florida |
| 5 | Aaliyah Parker | Guard | 5'9" | Sophomore | Cardinal O'Hara | Cheektowaga, New York |
| 10 | Amelia Strong | Forward | 6'2" | Freshman | Cardinal O'Hara | Niagara Falls, New York |
| 11 | Angel Parker | Guard | 5'5" | Senior | Cardinal O'Hara | Cheektowaga, New York |
| 12 | Nickelle O'Neil | Guard | 5'5" | Graduate | Saint Peter's | Amherst, New York |
| 14 | Maddy Yelle | Guard | 5'8" | Graduate | Geneva | Geneva, Illinois |
| 20 | Marlie Dickerson | Guard | 5'10" | Freshman | Central Dauphin | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| 21 | Lore Porter | Guard | 5'9" | Junior | New Hope Academy | Woodbridge, Virginia |
| 23 | Jade Rutledge | Forward | 5'10" | Freshman | Cardinal O'Hara | Buffalo, New York |
| 25 | Saige Glover | Forward | 6'0" | Junior | Northland | Columbus, Ohio |
| 30 | Sydney Faulcon | Forward | 6'2" | Senior | Old Mill | Glen Burnie, Maryland |
References
- "Niagara University Athletic Department Quick Facts". August 2, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- "Niagara University Purple Eagle Athletics - 1617WBBRecordBook.pdf" (PDF). Purpleeagles.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
