After taking 11 days off for the holiday break, the Canisius men’s basketball team starts the 2017 calendar year off at home Monday afternoon when the team hosts Siena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. The Golden Griffins come into Monday’s game riding a five-game win streak, the program’s longest since the 2006-07 season.
The Griffs are coming off a 106-101 overtime victory at long-time rival St. Bonaventure Dec. 22. That win extended Canisius’ win streak to five straight. Including Canisius’ OT win over Buffalo Dec. 17, the Griffs have played back-to-back overtime games for the first time since 1998-99 season, and the back-to-back OT wins are the first for the program since 1982-83 (more info on pg. 4). The Griffs are averaging 88.8 points per game in their last eight outings since scoring a season-low 58 points in a loss to Tennessee State Nov. 23. Senior Phil Valenti scored a season-high 27 points in the win over St. Bonaventure Dec. 22 – the most points for a Canisius player against the Bonnies since 2002. Freshman Isaiah Reese was named the MAAC Rookie of the Week Dec. 26, the second time he’s been MAAC Rookie of the Week this season.
This will be the 97th all-time meeting between these two schools, with Siena holding a 53-43 lead in the series. Siena swept the regular-season series between these schools last season, winning two games by an average of 22 points per game. Prior to those two losses, Canisius had won six straight in the series, dating back to the 2012-13 season. Canisius is 15-13 all-time against Siena in the Koessler Athletic Center. The Griffs have won three of the last four home games in this series by an average margin of 23.7 points per game.
Siena comes into this afternoon’s game with a 4-9 overall record and a 1-1 mark in MAAC play. The Saints have dropped two straight and four of their last five outings after falling to Vermont 76-60 Dec. 29 in the Times Union Center. Sophomore Nico Clareth leads the Saints with his 15.9 points per game. Senior guard Marquis Wright chips in 14.7 points per game, which ranks 11th in the MAAC. Wright’s 4.8 assists per game is fourth best in the conference. Siena, which averages 71.8 points per game as a team, has five players averaging double-figures in the scoring column. Senior forward Javion Ogunyemi with good for 13.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while fellow front-court mate Brett Bisping adds 10.7 points and a team-high 9.6 rebounds per game.
Monday’s game will be broadcast live through Time Warner Cable Sports Channel, and streamed online through GoGriffs.com. The online stream will be blacked out throughout New York State, per contract agreement.
The Griffs will close out their first week of home action in the 2017 calendar year on Wednesday, Jan. 4, when the Blue and Gold plays host to Quinnipiac. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
from GoGriffs.com via IFTTT
