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Men's Basketball Returns Home Wednesday

Men's Basketball Canisius College Athletics

Men's Basketball Returns Home Wednesday

Game No. 7
Canisius (0-6) vs. Marist (5-3)
Wednesday, December 5 - 7:30 p.m. Koessler Athletic Center (2,176) - Buffalo, N.Y.
Audio: Golden Griffin Broadcast Network/CJRN 710-AM
TV: Time Warner Cable (tape delay)

Fast Break Points
  • The Canisius College men's basketball returns home for the first time in 21 days when the team plays host to Marist College in the Koessler Athletic Center tonight.
  • The Golden Griffins enter tonight's game with an 0-6 record after the team lost at long-time rival St. Bonaventure 80-64 Dec. 1, in Olean, N.Y.
  • This is the second time in school history that the team has started the year with an 0-6 mark. The only other time Canisius opened the season 0-6 was 1987-88, when the Blue and Gold started the year 0-8.
  • Dating back to last season, Canisius has lost 15 of its last 16 games. The lone win came March 2, against Saint Peter's in the first round of the 2007 MAAC Tournament in Bridgeport, Conn.
  • The Griffs are averaging 61.5 points per game in their last four contests after scoring an average of 43.5 points per game in the season's first two outings.
  • Canisius started five freshmen Dec. 1, at St. Bonaventure. According to available program records, this is the first time since 1960 that the Griffs posted a starting lineup of five true freshmen in one game.
  • In the St. Bonaventure game, three Griffs recorded a career-high point total, led by Julius Coles' career-high 12 point effort in his first collegiate start.
  • Sophomore guard Frank Turner has posted double figures in the scoring column in the Griffs' last four games, where he is averaging 12.8 points per contest.
  • Forward Tomas Vazquez-Simmons had two blocks at St. Bonaventure to give him 25 blocked shots through his first six collegiate games. The 6-foot-7 freshman has at least two blocks in each of the team's first six college contests, highlighted by his eight block performance at Navy Nov. 20.
  • Tonight's matchup is the first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game for both Canisius and Marist. This is the second-straight year the Griffs and the Red Foxes have opened conference play against each other.
  • Since joining the league before the 1989-90 season, Canisius is 8-10 in MAAC openers and 6-12 in the first conference home game of the season.

    The Marist Scout
  • Marist enter tonight's game with a 5-3 overall record after the team beat Wright State at home 79-64 Dec. 1.
  • The Red Foxes travel to Buffalo as winners in their last four games, with two of those wins coming on the road and two coming at home.
  • Senior guard Louie McCroskey leads Marist with his 12.4 points per game scoring average. He scored a career-high 24 points in the team's win over Wright State.
  • Freshman Jay Gavin is chipping in 10.3 points and two assists per game for Marist, while senior forward/center Spongy Benjamin leads the team in rebounding average with his 7.8 boards per game.
  • As a team, Marist is shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from 3-point range. The Red Foxes rank fourth in the MAAC in field goal percentage as a team.
  • Marist was picked to finish fifth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll. McCroskey and Ryan Stilphen were Preseason All-MAAC Second Team selections.

    Series History
  • Tonight's game is the 25th meeting between these two schools, with Canisius holding a 13-11 advantage in the series.
  • The Griffs and the Red Foxes squared off three times last season, with Marist winning the season series by a 2-1 count. Both teams won on their home floor, before the Red Foxes ending Canisius' season March 3, in the MAAC Tournament Quarterfinal round by a score of 87-63.
  • Canisius is 7-2 against Marist in the Koessler Athletic Center after beating the Red Foxes at home by a score of 84-74 Jan. 20, 2007. The Griffs are 3-2 in the last five meetings with Marist in the KAC.
  • These two teams never met on the hardwood before Marist joined the MAAC after participating in the Northeast Conference.
  • The Red Foxes won the first game between these two schools by a score of 52-51 Jan. 31, 1998, in the HSBC Arena.

    Home Work
  • Tonight's home game is the second home contest of the season for Canisius, and the first time the Griffs have been on the Koessler Athletic Center floor since Nov. 13, when the team lost to Colgate.
  • The Griffs own an all-time record of 149-76 (.660 win percentage) at the KAC, but are 29-44 since 2001 (.390 win percentage).
  • The announced crowd of 1,527 Nov. 13, was the sixth time in the last two years the Griffs have played in front of a crowd better than 1,500 in the Koessler Athletic Center.
  • Canisius was 4-9 at home last season and 4-8 in the Koessler Athletic Center.
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    Players Mentioned

    Julius Coles

    #15 Julius Coles

    G
    6' 4"
    Freshman
    Frank Turner

    #3 Frank Turner

    G
    5' 10"
    Sophomore
    Tomas Vazquez-Simmons

    #42 Tomas Vazquez-Simmons

    F
    6' 7"
    Freshman

    Players Mentioned

    Julius Coles

    #15 Julius Coles

    6' 4"
    Freshman
    G
    Frank Turner

    #3 Frank Turner

    5' 10"
    Sophomore
    G
    Tomas Vazquez-Simmons

    #42 Tomas Vazquez-Simmons

    6' 7"
    Freshman
    F