THE BASICS:

GAME INFORMATION: Hartford Hawks (7-2, 0-0 AE) at Niagara Purple Eagles (3-4, 1-1 MAAC)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, Dec. 7 (7 p.m.)
LOCATION: 'Taps' Gallagher Center (Niagara Univ., N.Y.)
COVERAGE: Live Stats  |  Watch  |  Game Notes  |  Twitter: @HartfordWBB

OPENING TIP
The University of Hartford women's basketball team puts its four-game winning streak on the line on Wednesday evening when it heads to Niagara for a non-conference tilt with the Purple Eagles. Winners of six of their last seven games, the Hawks have yet to lose on the road, owning a 4-0 record. Niagara, which has won two of its last three, opened MAAC action last weekend, splitting a pair of games with Monmouth (W, 66-45) and Rider (L, 58-78). Tipoff from 'Tips' Gallagher Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday will be the first meeting between Hartford and Niagara on the hardwood. The Hawks have seen their share of MAAC opponents so far this year, though, as they have wins over Siena (80-76) and Monmouth (75-72). Following the matchup with the Purple Eagles, Hartford completes its tour of the MAAC on Saturday with a home contest against Quinnipiac.
 
SCOUTING THE PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara is 3-4 this season, having defeated St. Bonaventure, Cleveland State and most recently, Monmouth. The club is led by Victoria Rampado, who has made a strong return from an injury that sidelined her for the majority of the 2015-16 campaign. She is averaging 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds and is the Purple Eagles' leader with five blocks. Kaylee Stroemple (11.1 ppg) and Tiffany Corselli (10.7) also average twin figures in scoring for Niagara, which puts up 59.7 points per game but concedes 70.1 per outing.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Hartford came back from its largest halftime deficit of the season on Sunday to down Sacred Heart, 81-64, at Reich Family Pavilion. Deanna Mayza and Darby Lee combined for more than half (44) of the Hawks' points, netting 24 and 20, respectively. A sluggish start saw Hartford take a 39-31 deficit into the halftime break, but the Hawks came out firing in the second half. Clawing back to take a 55-54 lead after three quarters, Hartford clamped down defensively, conceding just two field goals in the final quarter to put the Pioneers away.
 
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks head back to West Hartford for their final home non-conference game of the 2016-17 season on Saturday, Dec. 10, hosting in-state foe Quinnipiac at 2 p.m. Hartford will be looking to end a three-game skid against the Bobcats that dates back to the 2013-14 season.
 
20-20 VISION
Two Hawks – Lee and Mayza – each compiled 20-plus points in Hartford's recent, 81-64 win over Sacred Heart. The duo combined for more than half of the team's points (44) as Mayza netted a game-best 24 points – one shy of her career high – while Lee added 20 points for a new season high. It marked the first time since 2014-15 that Hartford landed two players with 20 or more points in a single game, as Mazya (20) and former Hawk Cherelle Moore (22) teamed up to accomplish the feat in the America East Championship game at UAlbany on March 13, 2015.
 
DaCOSTA IS DOMINATING
For the second time in as many weeks, guard Sierra DaCosta was named the America East Rookie of the Week on Monday. Previously receiving the honor on Nov. 28 after scoring in double figures three times and averaging 14.3 points per game, DaCosta extended her double-digit scoring streak to five games last week, averaging 11.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in Hartford's wins against UMass (75-56) and Sacred Heart (61-64).
 
ROAD WARRIORS
The Hawks will be looking to build off this season's hot start in road games in Wednesday's tilt at Niagara. Scoring wins at CCSU (Nov. 16) and Siena (Nov. 19) before taking both games of the Christmas City Classic against Monmouth (Nov. 26) and Norfolk State (Nov. 27) on neutral ground, the Hawks' 4-0 start away from West Hartford marks the first time in program history that the squad has won its first four road contests. Prior to this season, Hartford's best start on the road came in 2005-06 with three-straight victories over Rhode Island, UMass and Rider.
 
IMPRESSIVE START
With head coach Kim McNeill currently in the midst her debut season at the helm of the Hartford women's basketball team, the Hawks have jumped out to an impressive 7-2 start. Among McNeill's five predecessors at the Division I level, her 7-2 record is the best debut by a Hartford coach, besting Jennifer Rizzotti's 6-3 start in her first season (1999-00). In addition, McNeill's record is tied with Roger Wickman for the best coaching debut in program history, as he also piloted the Hawks to a 7-2 record in 1976-77 (Hartford competed at the Division II level until 1984-85).
 
WE LOVE THE 80s
For the second time this season, the Hawks lit up the scoreboard for 80-plus points, tallying 81 in Sunday's 81-64 win against Sacred Heart in West Hartford. Last month, Hartford also hit that mark in an 80-76 road victory at Siena on Nov. 19. The last time the Hawks eclipsed the 80-point mark twice in the same season was in 2013-14, when the club netted 80 in consecutive wins over UMass Lowell (Feb. 19) and UMBC (Feb. 22). This season's high-scoring offense will be chasing the 2008-09 edition of the Hawks, which eclipsed the 80-point plateau a program-best five times.
 
BIG WIN
Hartford dropped UMass last Wednesday (Nov. 30), defeating the Minutewomen by 19 points in a 75-56 decision. That margin of victory marked the Hawks' largest since the 2013-14 campaign, when they toppled Binghamton by 24 points for a 66-42 win (Jan. 23).
 
SOLID TURNOVER
The Hawks' ability to create havoc in the backcourt has also been a key factor in the team's early success. Hartford currently leads the America East in turnover margin (+7.78), committing 117 miscues while forcing its opponents into 187. In last week's win against UMass, Hartford posted a season-best +17.0 turnover margin as the Minutewomen committed 25 miscues to the Hawks' eight. In Sunday's win against Sacred Heart, the Hawks held a double-digit edge in turnovers for the fifth time this season with a 22-12 advantage.
 
SOLID CONVERSION
In addition to being able to force its opponents into 20.8 turnovers per game, a number that ranks atop of the America East, what has been just as impressive from this season's Hartford squad is the team's ability to capitalize on those miscues. More than 25 percent of Hartford's scoring this season – a total of 161 points – has come off of miscues forced by the defense. 
 
IN THE SIXTIES
The offense has been productive early on this season for the Hawks. Leading the America East in points per game at 70.3, Hartford has scored 60-plus points in each of its nine games this season, including a season-high 81 in Sunday's win against Sacred Heart. It's been quite some time since the Hawks delivered 60-or-more points in nine consecutive games, as the last time the feat was accomplished was in a 13-game rally during the 2005-05 campaign. During that stretch, which began with a 79-53 win over Manhattan on Dec. 4, the Hawks averaged 66.9 points.
 
SOPHOMORE SENSATION
A year has made all the difference for Abed. As a rookie, she scored 113 points in 22 games, averaging 5.1 points while recording two double-digit scoring games in 2015-16. That average has more than doubled to 12.2 points per game in 2016-17. Just nine games in, she has already racked up five games in double figures and scored 110 points, needing three more points to match her total from last season. A guard, Abed has seen improvement across the board, as she needs three field goals, eight rebounds, six assists and three more steals to match the numbers she posted as a freshman.
 
MAYZA CLOSING IN ON 1,000
Mayza is on the cusp of becoming the 16th player in program history to reach 1,000 points. Scoring in double-figures in all but one contest this season, the senior has accumulated 965 points on her career. If she were to accomplish the feat, she would be the first Hawk to reach the milestone since Amber Bepko in the 2014-15 season.