BUFFALO — Canisius plays host to red-hot Tennessee State on Thanksgiving Eve in the Koessler Athletic Center, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. The Golden Griffins are coming off a 72-69 loss to UT Martin on Monday, the team’s second loss of the season by three points.
Canisius closes out a brief two-game homestand tonight when the Golden Griffins play host to Tennessee State in the Koessler Athletic Center. Canisius is 1-3 on the year after falling to UT Martin 72-69 Monday night in the Griffs’ 2016-17 home opener. After making a season-high 13 3-pointers in the win over Duquesne Nov. 18, Canisius connected on just six shots from long range on Monday. Three of Canisius’ first four games this season have been decided by a total of seven points. In the last 10 Canisius game decided by five points or less, the Griffs are 3-7. Senior forward Phil Valenti led all scorers with 21 points in the loss to UT Martin. The 21-point effort gives him double-figures in the scoring column in 11-straight games, dating back to last season. Canisius junior forward Jermaine Crumpton scored 17 points and was credited with a career-high three steals in the loss. He has scored in double-figures in four games this season.
Tonight’s game will be the second all-time meeting between the two schools, and the first since Jan. 11, 1964. Tennessee State won the previous meeting by a score of 79-69 when the two teams played in Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium. Tennessee State will be the 63rd NCAA Division I program to play against Canisius in the Koessler Athletic Center since the building opened in 1968.
Tennessee State is off to a 4-0 start after the Tigers beat Middle Tennessee on the road Nov. 19 by a score of 74-63. Tennessee State’s 4-0 start is the teams best since 1994-95. The Tigers, which received one vote in this week’s AP Top-25 Poll, are currently ranked 20th in the CollegeInsiders.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. Tennessee State’s roster features three fifth-year seniors, including leading scorer Tahjere McCall. McCall, who was named the Ohio Valley Conference’s Offensive Player in the Year in 2015-16, started his college career at Niagara before transferring after the 2013-14 season. McCall is good for 15.5 points and 4.3 assists per game for the Tigers, who are averaging 72.5 points per game while shooting 44.1 percent from 3-point land. Redshirt-senior forward Wayne Martin averages a double-double for the Tigers. He posted 22 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Middle Tennessee. He started his college career at St. Francis Brooklyn.
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