2022 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships Program

2021–22 NIAGARA MEN’S & WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

QUICK FACTS LOCATION NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY

NICKNAME PURPLE EAGLES COLORS PURPLE AND WHITE YEAR FOUNDED 1856 PRESIDENT REV. JAMES J. MAHER, C.M. ATHLETIC DIRECTOR SIMON GRAY HOME ARENA FRANK AND BARBARA LAYDEN COURT AT THE GALLAGHER CENTER (2,100)

MEN’S ROSTER

WOMEN’S ROSTER No. Name Cl.

No.

Name

Cl. Gr.

Pos.

Ht.

Wt.

Hometown

Pos.

Ht.

Hometown

0 2 4 5

Justin Roberts

G 5-10 189 Lawrence, KS G 6-4 185 Albany, NY G 6-2 180 Hilton, NY

0 2 3 4

Marianna Freeman

Fr.

G 5-5 Rochester, NY G 5-7 Pittsburgh, PA

Rob Brown III

Fr.

Brooklyn Jones

So. Fr. Fr. Sr.

Tahjae Hill

So.

Lexi Roe

G 5-7 Manlius, NY/

Jordan Cintron

Gr.

F

6-8 220 Bronx, NY

Aaliyah Parker

F F

5-9 Cheektowaga, NY 5-11 Grand Rapids, MI

10 12 13

Marcus Hammond

Sr. Sr. So.

G 6-2 160 Queens, NY G 5-9 175 Boston, MA

10 11 12 14 20 21 23 24 25 30

Ariana Johnson Angel Parker Olivia Mason

Shandon Brown

Jr.

G 5-5 Cheektowaga, NY

Touba Traore

F F

6-11 210 Bamako, Mali 6-6 200 Worcester, MA

R-Jr.

F

6-0 Kennett Square, PA

15

Greg Kuakumensah

Gr.

Maddy Yelle

Sr. Sr. So.

G 5-8 Geneva, IL

21 22 24 33 34 55

Noah Thomasson

Jr.

G 6-3 195 Houston, TX

Ally Haar

G 5-6 West Chester, OH

PLAYER TO WATCH Junior Angel Parker was named to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team prior to the start of the 2021–22 season after being an All-MAAC Second Team selection in 2020–21. Parker has been one of the league’s best all-around point guards this season. The Cheektowaga, NY native, has averaged over 15 points, four assists, four steals and three rebounds per game all year for the Purple Eagles. NOTABLE ALUMNI Kathryn Rafter was a pioneer for women’s sports at Niagara University and helped lead the initiative to have women’s sports officially sanctioned at NU and was a member of the women’s basketball program from 1971–75. In 1974, Rafter became the first female student-athlete elected to the Athletics Advisory Council which helped implement Title IX. She has continued to be a generous benefactor of the Purple Eagles women’s basketball program and Niagara University. Rafter was inducted to the MAAC Honor Roll in 2015 and the Niagara University Athletics Hall of Fame in December of 2021.

Sam Iorio

Gr.

F

6-7 230 Allentown, PA

Lore Porter

G 5-9 Hyattsville, MD

Julian Mackey

Fr.

G 6-3 165 Grayson, GA G 6-2 180 Hamilton, ON

Kyra Grimshaw Adiana Pacheo

Sr.

G/F 5-10 North Syracuse, NY

Steven Levnaic

R-Jr.

Fr.

F F F F

6-1 Harrison, NJ

Nicholas Kratholm

Gr.

F F

6-9 220 Louisville, KY

Saige Glover

So.

6-0 Columbus, OH

PLAYER TO WATCH Marcus Hammond, who was selected to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team and was an All-MAAC Second Team honoree in 2020–21, has established himself as one of the top players in the MAAC. This season, he leads the Purple Eagles in scoring and is in the top five on the team in rebounding, assists and steals. Hammond ranks in the top five in the MAAC in scoring, 3-point field goal percentage and 3-point field goals per game and ranks in the top 10 in free throw percentage. NOTABLE ALUMNI Hubie Brown played on three NIT Tournament teams from 1951-55. He had a successful professional basketball coaching career and was a two-time NBA Coach of the Year Brown has had an outstanding broadcasting career with CBS, TNT and ESPN and was awarded the Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award in 2000. Brown was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a Contributor in 2005 and was also inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame as a Contributor in 2006. Brown was inducted into the Niagara University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984, inducted into the MAAC Basketball Hall of Fame Honor Roll in 2012, and received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

Harlan Obioha

Fr.

7-0 280 Hoxie, KS

Sydney Faulcon

Jr.

6-2 Glen Burnie, MD 6-2 Niagara Falls, NY

--

Amelia Strong

Fr.

Head Coach: Greg Paulus (Duke, ’09) – Third Season Assistant Coaches: Bryan Smothers (Wayne State, ’11) – Third Season, Kevin Devitt (DePaul, ’10) – Second Season Director of Basketball Operations: Austin Kelley (St. Bonaventure, ’11) – Second Season

Head Coach: Jada Pierce (West Chester, ’97) – Seventh Season Assistant Head Coaches: Brianna Chambers (Cal State – Bakersfield, ’02) – Fourth Season, Lester Harbin (Lees-McRae, ’06) – Fifth Season Assistant Coach: Kayla DeCriscio (Pitt –Johnstown, ’16) – Second Season Director of Basketball Operations: Megan Cunningham (West Chester, ’17) – First Season

HEAD COACH GREG PAULUS Greg Paulus is highly regarded in college athletics for his dedication to the holistic development of student-athletes. His stellar resume includes eight NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament appearances as a player and a coach. Paulus enters his third season at the helm of the NU squad in 2021–22. Paulus, who developed his craft after 14 years of playing and coaching at some of the most prestigious programs in collegiate athletics, joined the Purple Eagles staff in May 2019 as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. He was named head coach in November 2019. Paulus was named to The Athletic’s 40 Under 40: Rising Stars in Men’s College Basketball list, released by the publication on Nov. 23, 2021. In Paulus’ tenure, Niagara has become one of the most competitive teams in the MAAC and he has helped bring national attention to the NU program. Paulus’ accomplishments during his maiden voyage as a head coach were recognized by the college basketball industry as he was the recipient of the 2019–20 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year Award which is presented annually to the top first-year coach in NCAA Division I college basketball.

HEAD COACH JADA PIERCE Niagara women’s basketball head coach Jada Pierce is in her seventh season at the helm of the Purple Eagles after being introduced as the eighth head coach in Niagara history in July of 2015. Through six seasons as the leader of the Purple Eagles, Pierce has coached multiple All-MAAC selections, including 2017-18 MAAC Player of the Year and unanimous All-MAAC First Team selection Victoria Rampado and 2018–19 MAAC Sixth Player of the Year Maggie McIntyre. Pierce has also seen 42 of her student-athletes earn MAAC All-Academic recognition for their work in the classroom. Pierce entered 2021–22 with 55 wins, including 38 league wins as NU’s head coach. The best season for the Purple Eagles under Pierce came in 17-18 when the team finished 9-9 in league play and entered the MAAC Tournament as the six seed.

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