POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist men's basketball team closes out a stretch of three straight home games to open Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play on Sunday, when the Red Foxes (3-11 overall, 1-1 MAAC) host Niagara (8-8, 1-2). Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
 
Marist is coming off a 101-96 overtime loss to Manhattan on Jan. 2. In the contest, junior guards Brian Parker (33 points) and David Knudsen (28 points) both set career highs in scoring. The Red Foxes drained 17 three-pointers, with 10 coming in the first half. Marist led for 39:04 of the game, and was up by as much as 13 in the second half, but Manhattan outscored the Red Foxes 48-36 in the second half and 21-16 in overtime.
 
Niagara's last outing produced an 84-76 victory at Siena on Friday. Marvin Prochet led four double-digit scorers with 20 points to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds. The Purple Eagles have the MAAC's top two scorers in Matt Scott (22.1 ppg) and Kahlil Dukes (20.9 ppg), and top two rebounders in Prochet (8.4 rpg) and Scott (7.7 rpg).
 
The Marist-Niagara series has produced several close games recently:

• The last seven contests have been decided by a total of 27 points.
• The last seven contests have all been decided by six points or less.
• The home team has won 15 of the last 20 regular-season games.
• Marist swept the season series last year, winning each game by six points. The game at Niagara on Jan. 16 went to overtime.
• Marist head coach Mike Maker is 4-2 all-time against Niagara.

 
Top Tidbits

• Parker ranks 21^st in career scoring with 1,111 points. In 20^th place is Bruce Johnson (1,130 points).
• Knudsen, this week's MAAC Male Student-Athlete of the Week, leads the MAAC in free-throw percentage (.933).
• Junior forward Ryan Funk is 9-for-17 (.529) from three-point range in his last two games. At McCann Arena this season, Funk is 20-for-39 (.513) from three.

 
On the Air
Dean Darling (play-by-play), Steve Eggink (color), and Ed Weir (sideline) have the call on ESPN3.
 
Up Next
Marist travels to Quinnipiac for its first road conference game of the season on Wednesday, Jan. 10. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.