RIVERDALE — The Canisius women’s basketball team plays its first game of the 2017 calendar year on Monday, as the squad takes on the Manhattan Jaspers at Draddy Gymnasium at 2 p.m.
The Griffs played its final game of 2016 and took on the reigning MAAC Champion, Iona Gaels on Friday. Canisius looked as if it had taken control of the contest, using a late 12-5 run to jump ahead with a brief 51-49 lead, however the Gaels finished the final two minutes on an 5-1 run, capped by a final possession trey by Alexis Lewis to seal the deal 57-55. Sara Hinriksdottir bounced back from a quiet outing against Cornell, to lead the way with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Saliah Serrette matched that offensive output with 12 points. The Griffs had a better shooting percentage than the Gaels, firing at a 40 percent success rate, while Iona achieved a 35 percent shooting percentage. However the Gaels had 24 opportunities at the line and drained 17 free-buckets. Canisius enters the contest with a 2-10 overall record and a 1-2 MAAC mark.
The Blue and Gold are currently mired in a five-game losing skid. Hinriksdottir and Lauren D’Hont both average double-figures as the sophomore is pacing the team with 14.3 points per game and 5.3 rebounds, while D’Hont is scoring at 10.8 points per game clip. Margret Halfdanardottir leads the team in assists per game with a 3.2 mark. As a team the Blue and Gold are averaging 61.4 points per game, while opponents are tallying 70.3 points per contest. Canisius is taking down 32.7 rebounds per game, however its foes are recording boards at higher clip, averaging 40.4. Turnovers have also been a point of emphasis, as the Blue and Gold are turning it over 16.1 steals per game, while opponents are giving it away 14.4 times per matchup.
The Jaspers (5-7, 1-2 MAAC) earned their first MAAC win of the season, a 68-66 triumph over Siena, on Friday night. • Junior guard Amani Tatum tallied 20 points against the Saints. She paces the team wtih 10.9 points per game while also leading the league with 5.0 assists per contest. Tatum ranks second in the MAAC with 3.2 steals per outing. • Junior center Kayla Grimme recorded her second double-double of the season against Siena. She leads the team in rebounding (7.1 prg) to go along with 9.8 points a night. Grimme is the MAAC leader in blocks with an average of 2.3 per game. Senior guard Maeve Parahus, meanwhile, tallies 7.4 points per contest and is shooting .418 from three-point range. The Jaspers conclude their four-game homestand on Thursday, when they host Rider (8-4, 2-1 MAAC) in the first game of a Manhattan basketball doubleheader that will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
The Griffs come into this contest holding a 31-27 lead over the Jaspers in the all-time series history. This is the first contest between the two teams this season. Manhattan swept the two-game set last season, however the campaign prior, Canisius did the same besting the Jaspers in the pair of contests (56-45 & 55-44). Home court has been an advantage for both teams as the Griffs lead at the KAC 19-8 while the Jaspers hold a 15-11 lead at Draddy Gymnasium. In tournament play, Manhattan has gotten the best of the Blue and Gold, holding a 4-1 lead, with the only recent MAAC game coming in 2005, as a Zeh-led squad won 60-54. Zeh has gotten the better of Manhattan in his time as head coach of the Golden Griffins. Zeh is 13-11 overall against the Jaspers and has dominated them at home 8-4.
from GoGriffs.com via IFTTT
