The Niagara Purple Eagles and the Stetson Hatters meet Saturday in college basketball action from National Basketball Arena. Niagara is fresh off a Friday matchup versus Central Arkansas. In that one the Eagles got their first win of the year. As for Stetson, they’re 3-0 this season after beating Rider in their Friday game. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.
Niagara had a rough matchup in their opener this year. The Eagles faced Maryland, and managed to score just 22 second-half points in a 71-49 loss. In game two versus Bucknell, Niagara had 27 second-half points during a 68-50 loss.
In Friday’s matchup versus Central Arkansas, Niagara managed to get off to a good start with a 33-26 halftime edge. The Purple Eagles kept the scoring going with a 70-38 second half and bagged the 73-64 victory.
Over on the Stetson side, they got off to a nice start in their opener this year, taking an 83-74 victory over Florida State. The Hatters would go on to eke out a win over South Florida 68-67 in game two back on Monday.
In Friday’s matchup versus Rider, Stetson jumped out to a 37-27 halftime lead. The Hatters scored 41 more points in the second for a 78-68 victory. Wheza Pano led the team on 15 points, while Stephan Swenson added 13 points and nine assists.
PICK: I’m going to go with Stetson. The Hatters are coming off a pretty good effort versus Rider, shooting 42.2 percent from the field and 41.4 percent (12-of-29) from 3-point range. Stetson held a 45-39 rebounding advantage with 13 team assists. As for Niagara, they’re coming off a nice win over Central Arkansas, shooting 54.7 percent from the field. The Eagles made just 2-of-12 (16.7 percent) from 3-point range, though. All things considered, if Stetson plays to their capabilities the Hatters should cover.