The Canisius College women’s basketball team closes out 2016 with one final game before the New Year, as the squad reopens MAAC play at Iona on Friday.
The squad will compete against the Gaels on Friday and conclude with Quinnipiac on Monday to open 2017. Canisius is coming off the Christmas break looking to snap a four-game losing skid, with its last win coming on Dec. 4 against Monmouth. The Blue and Gold ended non-conference action against Cornell prior to the break,posting a 60-43 loss in Ithaca. The Griffs’ offense, which has been a strength of the team through the first stretch of games, went cold against a stout Big Red defense, as no Golden Griffin notched double-figures. Cornell held Canisius to under 30 percent from the floor, and Canisius’ leading scorers notched just six points each, as Margret Halfdanardottir and Maria Welch paced the team’s scoring.
Coming into the weekend the Griffs are 2-9 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Sara Hinriksdottir maintains the team lead in points per game, averaging 1.5, with Lauren D’Hont’s 11.4 points per game, ranking second. Aside from being second on the team in points, D’Hont is the team leader in rebounds per game, taking down 5.2 rebounds per contest. Meanwhile Hinriksdottir is averaging 5.1. Halfdanardottir has taken the lead in dishing out the basketball this season, leading the team with 36 total assists, and posting a 3.2 assists per game average. As a team the Blue and Gold is averaging 62.3 points per game, while opponents are scoring 71.7. Rebounding is an area that the team is working to improve, averaging 33.1 per game, while opponents average 40.8. This season the Blue and Gold are averaging 40.8 percent from the field while opponents are shooting slightly better with a 41.8 mark.
The Gaels come into the contest with a 6-5 overall mark and a 1-1 record in the MAAC. Iona has bounced back after losing three-straight contests, having won four of its last six games, including wins over VCU, Manhattan, Fordham and St. Francis Brooklyn. While the Gaels did defeat Manhattan to open MAAC play, the squad dropped the second game of the conference two-match set, falling to Fairfield 68-59. The Gaels are led offensively by Alexis Lewis, who leads the conference in points per game with a mark of 18.9. As well as the services of Marina Lizarazu who averages 14.3 points per game. Joining Lewis and Lizarazu is Karynda DuPree who also averages double-figures with a 10.2 points per game average. Aside from leading in points per game for the Gaels, Lewis also leads the team in rebounds per game with a mark of 7.4. Lizarazu also leads in a second category, leading the team in assists per game with a per game total of 4.8. During the season Iona is averaging 60.7 points per game, while opponents are scoring 59.4. Rebounding has been a point of strength, as the Gaels are winning the battle of the glass, averaging 37.7 boards per game while opponents are registering 33.5.
Iona holds a 33-24 series advantage in the history between these two squads, The Gaels are currently on an 10 game winning streak, as well as having won 13 of the last 14 and 18 of the last 21 meetings. It hasn’t mattered whether the game is played in Buffalo or New Rochelle., as the Gaels are 17-11 overall at Iona and 15-11 when playing at the KAC. While Iona has gotten the better of the Griffs in the series history, Canisius has bested the Gaels twice in postseason play, holding a 2-1 record in the MAAC tournament.
from GoGriffs.com via IFTTT
