The zebra hasn't lost its stripes. Niagara is still Niagara. And how the Purple Eagles fare

in tonight's rematch with Canisius at the Gallagher Center likely will depend — as do

most Niagara games — on how well they shoot from beyond the arc.

The Purple Eagles put up 38 threes in last Friday's 73-70 overtime loss to the Griffs at

the Koessler Athletic Center. Just nine of them found their mark. Depending on one's

perspective, the glass is either half full or half empty. No doubt Niagara got a little

carried away with the long jumper. Even so, it almost won anyway.

"I still love the three, I really do," Niagara coach Joe Mihalich said this week. "We are

five guards, but we have to get to the rim, we have to get into the paint and we have to score

around the basket."

Once next to invincible at home, Niagara has seen its Gallagher Center mystique dwindle

with losses to Saint Peter's and Rider. The natives grow restless, having expected much more

than 12-12, 5-7 out of a team that won 26 games last year and has four seniors and a junior in

the starting lineup.

At the same time, the Purple Eagles are 20-4 in February over the last three seasons. This

is when their game typically reaches full bloom. And circumstances suggest they had best find

their stride in a hurry if they're to avoid finishing in the bottom four in the Metro Atlantic

Athletic Conference and require four wins, instead of three, to take the MAAC Tournament.

Marist (1-11), Manhattan (2-10) and Loyola (3-9) are three of the four teams that appear

destined to open next month's tournament on Friday instead of Saturday. The fourth team likely

will come out of a group that includes Niagara, Canisius (11-12, 6-6) and Rider (13-11, 6-6).

"I wouldn't say it's a must win for us but it's a very big game," Niagara point guard

Anthony Nelson said. "We have similar records. Winning this game, we keep saying it's a jump

start for us, it's a jump start for us, but I think this one would really give us the bump

that we need to get over the hump and take us to the next level."

"Every win from here on out is real big," Canisius point guard Frank Turner said. "It's not

just about the rivalry anymore. We need these games so we can get higher in the [conference]

standings."

Both teams have adjustments in mind. Niagara hopes to challenge inside more often, either

by utilizing the post players who come off the bench or by simply using its quickness to beat

the Griffs in the paint. It'll require more discipline than it takes to throw up 38 threes.

"We put up a lot of threes, but we had some good looks," Nelson said. "It's not like we were

forcing them up there. I'm sure 33 of those threes were really good looks. Hopefully next game

we knock some down, but I'd rather get it inside more, get some penetration and hopefully get

their bigs in foul trouble."

For Canisius the challenge is in cleaning up the defensive boards. Niagara's long-range

approach results in many long rebounds, and the Purple Eagles had 19 on the offensive end the

last time out.

"They're taking so many deep shots that the ball's not bouncing in the paint anymore,"

Canisius coach Tom Parrotta said. "If you miss, it's bouncing way out. What they have in their

favor is they're small, they're physical, they're quick, and they beat us to basketballs."

. . .

Tipoff is at 7 tonight (Time Warner, Radio 1230 and 1520 AM). ... Canisius announced this

week that freshman guard Alshwan Hymes, who missed the last two games, will be out about two

weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.