Niagara faces Iona in MAAC semis

Published Mar. 12, 2021 6:30 a.m. ET

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No. 9 seed Iona (10-5, 8-3) vs. Niagara (9-10, 8-9)

Metro Atlantic Conference Tourney Semifinals, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey; Friday, 6 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: A spot in the MAAC championship game is on the line as Iona and Niagara are set to square off. Niagara earned a 67-62 win over Marist on Thursday, while Iona got a 55-52 win against Siena on Wednesday.

SAVVY SENIORS: Iona's Isaiah Ross, Asante Gist and Dylan van Eyck have combined to account for 51 percent of the team's scoring this season, including 56 percent of all Gaels points over the last five games.

CREATING OFFENSE: Kobi Nwandu has either made or assisted on 41 percent of all Niagara field goals over the last three games. The senior forward has accounted for 17 field goals and 11 assists in those games.

UNBEATEN WHEN: Iona is a perfect 6-0 when it turns the ball over 13 times or fewer. The Gaels are 4-5 when they record more than 13 turnovers. Niagara has forced 12.9 turnovers per game in conference play and 14 per game over its last three.

ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The Purple Eagles have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Gaels. Niagara has 43 assists on 69 field goals (62.3 percent) over its previous three games while Iona has assists on 36 of 69 field goals (52.2 percent) during its past three games.

DID YOU KNOW: The diligent Niagara offense has turned the ball over on just 15.3 percent of its possessions, the 13th-lowest mark in all of Division I. 22.5 percent of all Iona possessions have resulted in a turnover.

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Asante Gist

Isaiah Ross

Dylan van Eyck

Niagara Purple Eagles

Iona Gaels