After spending much of the season on the road in 2016-17, the Blue and Gold get a chance to settle into a month that features five of its eight games to be played, at the Koessler Athletic Center.
It comes at a critical time of the season as well, as the Griffs enter the contest with a 7-16 overall mark and a 6-8 MAAC record. Each games’ importance is heightened with the ability to change the standings as the Griffs try to improve in a wide-open MAAC. Despite defeating Manhattan last Thursday, 58-48, the Griffs dropped its second game in the MAAC two-step, falling to Iona, 58-45 at the Koessler Athletic Center. In the final game of the week, the Griffs came into the fourth quarter down by just four points, however a 23 final frame by the Gaels overpowered a Canisius offense that shot 35 percent from the field. Two players hit double-figures in the contest as Margret Halfdanardottir led the way with 14 points, while Sara Hinriksdottir, scored 11 for the game, despite only playing in 23 minutes of the game due to foul trouble in the first half.
On the season overall, Sara Hinriksdottir is Leading the team offensively, who averages 14.7 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per contest. She also shoots near 50 percent with a mark of 46.8 percent from the field. Lauren D’Hont is second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.3 points per game, to go along with a 4.2 rebound per contest mark. Also flirting with a double-digit average is Halfdanardottir, who averages 9.6 per contest. The long-range specialist is shooting 38.2 percent from beyond the arc. Tamara Miskovic is the team’s assist leader, averaging 3.0 helpers per contest this season. The Blue and Gold is averaging 59.6 points per game, while opponents are tallying 65.4 points per contest.
Redshirt-junior forward Victoria Rampado leads the Purple Eagles in scoring with 16.3 points per game and in rebounding with 7.9 rebounds per game. Rampado is second in the MAAC in rebounding and is third in scoring. Junior forward Kaylee Stroemple also averages in double figure scoring with 12.7 points per game. Stroemple has the third-best field goal percentage in the MAAC; she is 117-for-227 for a percentage of 51.5. Jamie Sherburne is tied for sixth-most assists in the MAAC with 3.0 assists per game and has the sixth-best 3-point field goal percentage in the MAAC (37.5%). Niagara is second in the MAAC in 3-point field goal percentage; the team is 132-for-396 (33.3%), is second in free throw percentage (74.5%) and is fourth in the MAAC in overall field goal percentage (39.9%).
The Griffs come into the contest leading in the all-time series history 55-35. The Griffs had its five game winning streak against the Purple Eagles snapped in the MAAC tournament last year, losing 65-64. Canisius holds a 24-14 advantage when playing at the KAC and a 26-16 advantage when playing up in Lewiston. The Blue and Gold and Niagara have faced each other eight times at neutral sites/MAAC Tournament games and Canisius owns a 5-3 lead. Under Terry Zeh, Canisius has seen much prosperity when it comes to facing Niagara as the head coach is 21-9 all-time against the Purple Eagles. Zeh has posted an 8-4 mark at home and has gone 9-4 on road, while recording a 4-1 record at neutral sites.
After defeating Niagara in the final showdown of the 2015-16 season, women’s basketball helped clinch the sixth-straight canal cup. It is the eighth time in 10 years the Griffs have defeated Niagara in the Battle of the Bridge. Canisius currently holds a 11-5 lead in the points this season through the fall-season and each basketball meeting is worth two points. Canisius tallied two points in the first meeting this year as the squad defeated the Purple Eagles (65-57) up in Lewiston. The Battle of the Bridge is an all-sports competition between the schools. Points are awarded for all regular-season, conference match-ups, except for cross country, swimming and diving and golf where the points are awarded based on results in the MAAC Championship. Niagara’s only wins came in the inaugural competition in 2006-07 and also won in 2009-10.
Last Thursday the Blue and Gold out-rebounded the Manhattan Jaspers, taking down 42 boards for the second-highest total this season. There is something magic in the number 40 when it comes to rebounds for the Griffs, as Canisius is a perfect 3-0 this season when taking down 40-or-more rebounds. Likewise the trend spans three years as the Griffs are 12-1 in the last three seasons, when taking down 40-or-more rebounds.
The biggest story this year has been the breakout of Griffs’ sophomore, Sara Hinriksdottir. The second-year forward leads the team in points per game, notching 14.7 points per game, while ranking first on the team in rebounds per contest with a mark of 5.4. Hinriksdottir is one of eight players in the MAAC, who rank in the scoring top-10 and top-20 in rebounding.
from GoGriffs.com via IFTTT
