The Big 4 Basketball Classic will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel, and will be streamed through GoGriffs.com, however, viewers in New York WILL NOT be able to view the game online. Check you local listings for more information.
The Canisius Golden Griffins return to downtown Buffalo and the KeyBank Center today when the team meets cross-town rival Buffalo in the Big 4 Basketball Classic. The Griffs are coming off a 77-64 win over Albany Dec. 12, the team’s third-straight victory. Today’s contest will mark the 47th time Canisius has played a game in KeyBank Center. The Griffs are 27-19 all-time in the building. Junior Kassius Robertson ranks second in the MAAC in scoring average at 18.0 points per game. In the Griffs’ last five games, he is averaging a team-high 22.8 points per contest. Senior forward Phil Valenti had 19 points against Albany, one of five Griffs in double-figures in that win. In that game, he became the 35th 1,000-point scorer in school history. Freshman Isaiah Reese, the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week, had 13 points against Albany, his third-straight game with 10-plus points.
The game marks the 49th all-time meeting between these two programs. Canisius holds a 31-17 lead in the series, which dates back to Dec. 4, 1912. Today’s game in KeyBank Center marks the third time in the last four meetings where these programs have played in Buffalo’s downtown arena. Last year, Buffalo defeated Canisius 98-96 in overtime in UB’s Alumni Arena. That was just the second overtime game in this series. The two-point win for the Bulls allowed them to even the series at 9-9 all-time in games decided by five points or less.
Buffalo comes into this game with an overall record of 5-5. The Bulls defeated Coppin State at home Dec. 10 by a score of 87-52. The Bulls are averaging 75.7 points per game as a team. Buffalo has scored 70-plus points in five straight, highlighted by the season-high 87 points in the win over Coppin State. Senior Blake Hamilton leads the leads the Buffalo offense with his 16.5 points per game scoring average. He has scored in double-figures in seven-straight games. Fellow senior Willie Connor ranks second on the team in scoring average with 15.0 points per game. Sophomore Nick Perkins is good for 14.4 points and a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game. This is Buffalo’s third game of the season against a Big 4 rival. The team is 1-1 against local competition, beating Niagara 76-66 while falling to St. Bonaventure 90-84 on the road.
The day starts with St. Bonaventure meeting Niagara before Canisius takes on Buffalo. This will be the fifth true basketball doubleheader between Western New York’s Division I schools since 1996. As part of Saturday’s event, all four schools will wear special throwback uniforms, presented by ComDoc and Lawley. Canisius will wear uniforms from the 1980s era – a yellow set with Griffs written in script across the front of the jersey.
Next up, Canisius will travel to the Southern Tier to play at St. Bonaventure on Thursday. Game time in the Reilly Center is set for 7 p.m.
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