BUFFALO — Winners in eight of their last 10, the Canisius Golden Griffins return home Saturday to meet Marist. The Griffs are coming off a 1-1 road trip which saw the team earn its seventh road win of the season at Fairfield Tuesday night.
The Golden Griffins are 11-6 overall and 4-2 after defeating Fairfield by the score of 86-72 Jan. 10. The win at Fairfield improved Canisius to 7-4 on the road this season. Canisius is tied for the nation’s lead in road wins with Rider.
The Griffs are averaging 86.3 points per game in their last 12 outings since scoring a season-low 58 points in a loss to Tennessee State Nov. 23. Junior Jermaine Crumpton scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the win at Fairfield. He is the first Canisius player to record 30-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in a regulation game since Darren Fenn had 32 points and 11 rebounds against Iona on Jan. 8, 2000. Senior Phil Valenti had 20 points in the win at Fairfield, his 13th career game of 20-plus points. Junior Kassius Robertson needs 18 points for 1,000 in his career.
This will be the 44th all-time meeting between Canisius and Marist, with the Golden Griffins holding a 26-17 advantage in the series. The Griffs have won 12 of the last 18 games between these two programs, dating back to 2008-09. Last year, Canisius beat Marist 81-66 in the Koessler Athletic Center. Canisius is 14-5 all-time against Marist in the Koessler Athletic Center. The Griffs are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings with the Red Foxes on Main Street.
Marist is 5-12 overall and 2-4 in MAAC play after losing at Monmouth 71-64 Jan. 8. The Red Foxes, who opened the season at Duke Nov. 11, have dropped two straight and eight of their last 10, dating back to Dec. 2, when the team beat Niagara at home by a score of 72-66. As a team, Marist is averaging 69.2 points per game, which ranks 10th in the MAAC. The Red Foxes come into today’s game ranked eighth in the league in scoring defense, allowing 78.6 points per contest. Senior Khallid Hart leads the team and ranks eighth in the MAAC in scoring average with his 16.6 points per game. Sophomores Brian Parker and Ryan Funk are each good for 12.9 points per game.
Parker leads the team and ranks eighth in the MAAC in rebounding average with his 6.6 rebounds per contest. Funk, a native of nearby Clarence, New York, ranks second in the MAAC with his 3.1 3-point makes per game.
Canisius’ 86-72 road win over Fairfield Jan. 10, improved the team to 8-2 in its last 10 and the victory served as the Griffs’ 10th in their last 12 outings. Inside this current hot stretch for the Griffs includes a seven-game win streak, which ran from Dec. 7 (at Boston University) through Jan. 4 (home vs. Quinnipiac). The seven-game win streak was the longest for the program since the team won eight straight during the 1998-99 campaign. Since losing to Tennessee State at home Nov. 23 by a score of 72-58, Canisius is averaging 86.3 points per game. The Griffs have scored 75-or more points in all 12 of those games, dating back to Nov. 26 at Youngstown State.
The Griffs will return to action Monday, Jan. 16 when the team hosts Monmouth. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Canisius and Monmouth met Dec. 4, in New Jersey where the Hawks posted a 94-88 victory.
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