The BG women’s basketball team welcomes Niagara University to the Stroh Center Friday, Nov. 15 in their regular-season home opener.
The Falcons are 2-0 after capturing the Iona Tip-Off Tournament title last weekend.
Niagara is 0-1 on the year after suffering a loss to Lehigh at home Friday [Nov. 8]. The Purple Eagles return nine letterwinners, including three starters, from a 2012-13 team that went 15-16 overall and 9-9 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Their 15-win total is the program’s highest since the 2004-05 season.
This is only the second-ever meeting between BG and Niagara. The Falcons lead the Purple Eagles 1-0 in that series. The teams’ first meeting came exactly one year prior to this season’s matchup, on Nov. 15, 2012. The Falcons won the game 79-74 at Niagara. Last year’s win marked head coach Jennifer Roos’ first win over an NCAA Division-I program in her first year as head coach for the Falcons.
Roos said Niagara runs what she calls an “equal opportunity offense,” explaining that any player who can get a good shot can take it. She said that style “breeds a lot of confidence” for the Purple Eagles.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Roos said. “This is a team that can put up big numbers. We’ve got our work cut out for us against this offensive system that Niagara is going to be bringing in here Friday night.”
The Falcons have a tradition of success at home. The success began in BG’s Anderson Arena, where the Falcons went 333-116 overall. This then carried over to the Stroh Center once it was constructed. The first basketball season held at the Stroh began in November of 2011.
Last season, the Falcons won 14 games at home, including wins over Dayton and Central Michigan, both who were nationally ranked. The Falcons enter the 2013-14 season with an overall record of 28-7 in the Stroh Center.
The women’s game is the first part of a doubleheader at the Stroh on Friday. The women’s basketball team will tip off at 6 p.m. The BG men’s basketball team will take on USF following the women’s match. The men are scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m.
Coach Roos said her team is excited for their home opener to be part of the doubleheader. She said both matches should present “a great night of basketball.”
“With the momentum we’ve created from last weekend, I think there [are] a lot of people that will be there just to come see how we are, and to see all the new fresh faces that are on the team. We’re looking forward to it.”
The Falcons’ next game will be Monday, Nov. 18 as they travel to Indianapolis to take on Butler University at 7 p.m.
