Quinnipiac Set to Host Struggling Niagara in MAAC Women’s Basketball HAMDEN, Conn. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in fortunes will be on display Thursday night when the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference-leading Quinnipiac Bobcats host the last-place Niagara Purple Eagles in a women’s basketball matchup at TD Bank Sports Center. The Bobcats (22-5, 13-3 MAAC), riding high near the top of the conference standings, will look to continue their dominant season against a Purple Eagles squad mired in a 1-26 campaign. Quinnipiac enters having won eight of its last nine games, including a 55-39 road victory at Sacred Heart on Saturday. In that contest, guard Ella Ryan led all scorers with 18 points. Ryan, a key player to watch for the Bobcats, also scored 13 points in Quinnipiac’s 89-45 rout of Niagara just three weeks ago on Feb. 7. Over her last five games, she is averaging 11.2 points. Niagara (1-26, 1-15) is coming off a rare bright spot, having snapped a 16-game losing streak with a 56-52 home win over Rider on Feb. 21. In that victory, forward Kenedie Haruna posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in just 18 minutes of play. Haruna, the Purple Eagles’ player to watch, also had 11 points and six rebounds in the prior meeting with Quinnipiac this season. Despite that recent win, the challenge for Niagara is monumental. The Purple Eagles have lost 10 of their last 11 games by double digits and face a Quinnipiac team that boasts the MAAC’s top scoring defense, allowing just 54.8 points per game. The Bobcats have won the last seven meetings between the two programs. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 26. Quinnipiac will close its regular season at home against Canisius on Saturday. Niagara will travel to face Merrimack the same day.