Niagara will look to break its five-game road losing streak as the Purple Eagles prepare to take on the VCU Rams on Monday in Richmond, Virginia, marking their first meeting of the season. The Purple Eagles currently hold a record of 2-8, with an 0-2 mark in the MAAC, while VCU enters the matchup with a record of 6-4.
Playing at home, VCU has shown a strong performance with a 4-1 record. The Rams excel defensively, ranking eighth in the Atlantic 10 with an impressive average of 23.2 defensive rebounds per game, spearheaded by Lazar Djokovic, who contributes 3.5 rebounds per game. Conversely, Niagara has struggled as they sit at 1-6 on the road, with a concerning 1-5 record in games determined by a margin of ten points or more.
In terms of scoring, VCU averages 83.7 points per game, which is 7.9 points higher than the 75.8 points Niagara allows on average. The Purple Eagles’ shooting efficiency stands at 41.1% for the season, just below the 42.0% shooting average of VCU’s opponents.
Key players include VCU’s Terrence Hill Jr., who scores an average of 12.7 points per game with an impressive 50.9% shooting from three-point range, and Jadrian Tracey, who contributes 12.0 points per game while shooting at 40.7%. For Niagara, Justin Page leads with an average of 11 points, while teammate Justin Hawkins is close behind with 9.5 points per game.
As both teams gear up for their encounter, the Purple Eagles will be eager to turn the tide of their road struggles and secure a much-needed victory against a strong VCU team.