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 (MAAC). They are one of over fifty teams to have never reached the NCAA Division I tournament.

Niagara Purple Eagles
2024–25 Niagara Purple Eagles women's basketball team
University	Niagara University
Head coach	Jada Pierce (10th season)
Conference	MAAC
Location	Lewiston, New York
Arena	Gallagher Center (capacity: 2,400)
Nickname	Purple Eagles
Colors	Purple and white[1]
Uniforms
Home Away
AIAW tournament Final Four
Division II: 1979
AIAW tournament Elite Eight
Division II: 1979
AIAW tournament appearances
Division II: 1979, 1980
WNIT 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. Anselm's 77–65 and losing 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.^[2] The Purple Eagles ultimately fell to Green Bay in their first appearance in the tournament,^[2] ending one of the best seasons in the history of Niagara women's basketball.^[3]

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 one Women's National Invitation Tournament.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
2023	First round	Green Bay	L, 52–84

Roster

2023–24 Niagara Purple Eagles women's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Year Previous school Hometown G 0 Chardonnay Hartley 5 ft 3 in (1.6 m) So Longwood Harlem, New York G 1 Shelby Fiddler 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) So Patrick Henry High School Roanoke, Virginia G 3 Lexie Roe 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Jr Fayetteville–Manlius High School Manlius, New York G 4 Ary Hicks 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) So Charlotte High School Punta Gorda, Florida G 5 Aaliyah Parker 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Jr Cardinal O'Hara High School Cheektowaga, New York F 10 Amelia Strong 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) So Cardinal O'Hara High School Niagara Falls, New York G 11 Angel Parker 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) GS Cardinal O'Hara High School Cheektowaga, New York G 13 Destiny Strother 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) GS Pittsburgh Flint, Michigan G/F 14 Alyssa Rossignol 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Fr Enfield High School Enfield, Connecticut F 15 Kylie Buckley 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Fr Livonia High School Livonia, New York G 20 Marlie Dickerson 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) So Central Dauphin High School Harrisburg, Pennsylvania G 21 Lore Porter 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Sr New Hope Academy Woodbridge, Virginia F 23 Jade Rutledge 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) So Cardinal O'Hara High School Buffalo, New York F 25 Saige Glover 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Sr Northland High School Columbus, Ohio	Head coach Jada Pierce (West Chester) Assistant coach(es) Brianna Chambers (Cal State Bakersfield) Lester Harbin (Lees–McRae) Kayla DeCriscio (Pitt–Johnstown) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt Roster Last update: February 19, 2024

References

1. "Niagara University Athletic Department Quick Facts". August 2, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
2. "Purple Eagles End Historic Season In Opening Round Of WNIT". Niagara University Athletics. 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
3. "Niagara University Purple Eagle Athletics - 1617WBBRecordBook.pdf" (PDF). Purpleeagles.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.

External links

• Official website