By Nate Beutel Niagara Gazette The Niagara Gazette Thu Aug 25, 2011, 04:31 PM EDT
NIAGARA FALLS — Niagara University’s men’s basketball non-conference schedule, which was announced by the school on Wednesday, is highlighted by a trip to Big 12 power Missouri.
The Purple Eagles will play the Tigers at 8 p.m. Nov. 17 as part of the 11th annual College Basketball Experience (CBE) Classic.
“It’s awesome,” Niagara coach Joe Mihalich said of the trip to Columbia, Mizz.
The four-game classic also includes contests against South Dakota State (Nov. 21), Mercer (Nov. 22) and Sam Houston State (Nov. 23). Those three games will be played at Mercer.
Niagara opens the season at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 with a home game against Central Connecticut State. Other non-conference home games include Buffalo (7 p.m. Dec. 7), Drexel (7 p.m. Dec. 13), UMBC (7 p.m. Dec. 28) and St. Bonaventure (7 p.m. Dec. 30).
Besides the CBE Classic, the road non-conference slate includes trips to St. Francis (Pa.) (Nov. 28), Hartford (Dec. 10) and Quinnipiac (Dec. 22).
“Missouri and Drexel are really good, Bonaventure and UB are not quite as good but they’re really good games for us and teams like Central Connecticut, Sam Houston State and Quinnipiac will be near the top of their conference this year,” Mihalich said. “These games are really going to help get us ready to play our conference schedule.”
Mihalich is particularly excited about hosting Big 4 rivals Buffalo and St. Bonaventure and adding a fifth home game to the non-conference schedule this season.
The Purple Eagles are currently practicing for a preseason tour in Montreal. NU will play four Canadian Interuniversity teams from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4.
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