Series History
The Golden Griffins knocked off the Huskies 79-62 on Nov. 27, 1994 in the only other meeting between the two programs.  Heather Fiore scored a game-high 23 points to help move the Blue and Gold to a 2-0 start.  That season the Griffs won their first five games in a row, the program's best start.
 
Wounded Griffs
Senior guard Tricia Breznitsky had surgery on her left ACL in August.  She will be out of action until she completes her rehabilitation and plans to hit the floor by Jan. 1.  Sophomore forward Renee Turpyn has missed the entire preseason with a wrist injury.  She missed the last seven games of 2000-01 with the same injury.

Griffin History
Canisius finished the 2000-01 season 9-19 (.321) overall and 5-13 (.277) in the MAAC.  It was the 26th season of Canisius hoops.  The Griffs have an all-time record of 353-315 (.528).

Head Coach
Mike Decillis 33-52; .388 (4th Year); Native of Irvington, N.J.  He was named the seventh coach in program history on July 20, 1998. Fifth all-time at Canisius in wins, 15 away from fourth.  First win at Canisius was a 92-90 win over Cornell; Nov. 27, 1998.  Prior to taking over the helm at Canisius, Decillis was the head coach at Nazareth College in Pittsford, N.Y.  He was 253-129 in 14 years at the helm of the Golden Flyers, and went to the NCAA Division III National Tournament six times.  He is the winningest coach in the history of Nazareth College athletics.  A 1971 cum laude graduate of Ithaca College, Decillis played basketball for the Blue Bombers.

Opening Night Numbers
Mike Decillis is 1-2 in season openers entering the 2001-02 campaign.  Last year the Griffs lost to cross-town rival Buffalo 73-59 in UB's Alumni Arena.  The Blue and Gold are 14-12 in season openers all-time.  The last time the Griffs scored a win on opening night was Nov. 20, 1999, when Canisius beat St. Bonaventure 92-73 in the Koessler Athletic Center.

A Thief on the Bench
Shannon Cohen is in her first season as an assistant on the Canisius staff after graduating from league rival Loyola in 2001.  Cohen was known around the league for her perimeter defense.  She finished her four-year career at Loyola with 244 career steals, just seven steals shy of the school's all-time mark.

Movin' On Up
Shauna Geronzin is moving up the all-time scoring list in the Canisius record books. The senior needs just 508 points to break the all-time record set by Heather Fiore from 1993-97.  The senior for Clinton, Iowa is currently ranked sixth on the school's all-time rebounding list as well. The following is a list of the leaders:

Name             Career Points 
1. Heather Fiore  1,949
2. Kara Haun         1,661
3. Gina Castelli  1,524
4. Shauna Geronzin  1,442
5. Debbie Laux  1,430
6. Anne Brocker  1,409
7. Maggie Guidry 1,231
8. Rachel Decker 1,228
9. Pat Aronson 1,226
10. Cindy Ulreich 1,180

Pass Me the Rock
Tricia Breznitsky is currently ranked sixth on the school's all-time assist list with 446.  She needs just 47 more to move into fifth place all-time.

Name Career Assists
1. Lori Pasceri 595
2. Heather Fiore 586
3. Gina Castelli 578
4. Karen Freeman 535
5. Mimi LaMagna 493
6. Tricia Breznitsky 446

Home Sweet Home
The Griffs own all-time marks of 167-65 (.719) in the Koessler Athletic Center.  Canisius is 19-15 (.558) on campus under Decillis in the last three seasons.

Preseason Picks
Canisius was picked eighth in the MAAC Preseason Poll, which is voted on by the league's coaches. Defending champ Siena was selected to finish first.

First Team Spotlight
Senior forward Shauna Geronzin was named to the 2001 Preseason All-MAAC First Team Nov. 6, at the MAAC's annual media day.  The team was selected by the league's coaches.  Geronzin was the only Canisius player named to the team.

Captains
Shauna Geronzin, Julie Lanphere and Jessica Butler were voted by their teammates to serve as this year's captains.

First Time For Everything
In his 17 previous years as a college basketball coach, head coach Mike Decillis never had the chance to coach a foreign born player prior to this season.  Junior transfer Pavla Grasevova joins the team after playing the last two seasons at nearby Genesse Community College.  She was born in Prague, Czech Republic.

Light, Camera, Action
Freshman guard Cavanaugh Hagen is a 2001 graduate of T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va.  Hagen's alma mater took a step into the national spotlight a year ago with Disney's release of the hit movie Remember the Titians, starring Denzel Washington.  The movie focused on the school's 1971 state championship football team.  T.C. Williams was also the focus of an article in Sports Illustrated  in October, 2001.

Tale of the Tape
Seven of Canisius' 13 players are 5-9 or shorter.  The shortest Griff is senior Tricia Breznitsky, who is 5-3.  The tallest Canisius player is junior transfer Pavla Grasevova, who is listed at 6-3.

Where Are You From?
Canisius has only three players on the current roster that claim New York state as their home.  Two players come from Pennsylvania, while the states of New Jersey, Maryland, New Mexico, Connecticut, Iowa, Virginia and Massachusetts all contributed one player each. 

Distance is No Big Deal
Pavla Grasevova, a native of the Czech Republic, comes to Canisius from the furthest distance. Sophomore guard Alohndra Brown is the lone Buffalo native on this year's roster.

No Cupcakes Available
The Golden Griffins are scheduled to play six teams that made an appearance in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, including Elite 8 participant Vanderbilt.  Canisius is set to square off with conference rivals Siena, Fairfield and Austin Peay. The squad could play either Liberty and Delaware in the second game of the UNCG Marriott Classic.  Both teams were in the “Big Dance” a year ago.

Tourney Time
The Griffs will take part in just one in-season tournament this season.  The team will travel south to Greensboro, N.C. to take part in the UNCG Marriott Classic Nov. 23-24.

No Tuxedos Required
For the first time in school history, Canisius' women's team will play a game on New Year's Eve.  The Griffs will square off against national power Vanderbilt at 3 p.m. central time.  The Commadores are currently ranked third in the nation in the latest USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll.

Last Time Out
Canisius saw their 2000-01 season end with a loss in the 2001 HSBC MAAC Women's Basketball Tournament, held in the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y.  The Griffs were knocked off by eventual tourney champion Siena, 81-60.  Shauna Geronzin led all Canisius scorers with 12 points, while Jessica Butler pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. 

Looking Ahead
Canisius will travel to Burlington, VT, to face the University of Vermont Catamounts Nov. 18.  Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. in the Patrick Gymnasium.