Game No. 8: Canisius College (3-4) at No. 13/15 Ohio State University (7-0)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011
Time: Noon
Location: Value City Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
Video: BTN.com
Audio: GoGriffs.com
         Mike Scott (p-x-p)

 QUICK HITTERS

• The Canisius College women's basketball team continues its three-game road stretch with the first of two consecutive games in the state of Ohio, taking on No. 13/15 Ohio State at the Value City Arena on Saturday afternoon.
• Saturday's game is the seventh in the program's Division I history (since 1986-87) where the Golden Griffins have faced a team ranked in the top 25. 
• Canisius and Ohio State are playing for the second time. The Griffs and Buckeyes played on Dec. 22, 2005.
• Canisius sophomore Jamie Ruttle scored a career-high 20 points in Wednesday's game at Buffalo, going a career-best 4-for-6 from behind the arc.
• Canisius junior Ashley Wilkes leads the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in field goal percentage (56.1) and has shot 50 percent or better in three of the last four games.
• Canisius junior Ashley Durham is seventh in the MAAC in assists per game (3.5) while sophomore Jen Morabito is third in the conference in 3-point field goals made per game (2.3).
• Freshman Kayla Hoohuli was named MAAC Rookie of the Week on Monday, after averaging 12.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in two Canisius wins last week.
• Canisius is averaging 20.9 bench points per game, which is 38.3 percent of its team scoring.  Both of those totals are the highest in the conference.
• In the last six games, Canisius has held its opponents to 31.9 percent from the field. In the last four games, Canisius opponents are shooting 18.4 percent from behind the arc.
• Canisius entered the week ranked 42nd nationally in field goal percentage defense.
• The 2011-12 Golden Griffin roster features zero seniors for the first time since the 2004-05 team. Every other roster in the MAAC features at least two seniors.

SCOUTING THE GRIFFS

• Sophomore Jamie Ruttle, the 2011 MAAC Rookie of the Year leads Canisius in scoring (10.6) and has scored eight or more points in 21 of the last 28 games. Of Ruttle's 30 rebounds, 15 are offensive rebounds.
• Sophomore Jen Morabito, a MAAC All-Rookie Team selection, has made 16 of the team's 36 3-point field goals this season. Morabito has made three or more 3-pointers in three games.
• Junior Allison Braun, the team's captain for the 2011-12 season, is shooting 57.1 percent from the field in the last four games. Braun has at least five rebounds in five games, has at least one steal in each of the last six games and has a career-high four assists in two games in 2011-12.
• Junior Ashley Durham has 25 assists in the opening seven games and is seventh in the MAAC in assists per game (3.6). Durham also ranks fifth in the conference in free-throw percentage (85.7) and has made her last 14 free throws.
• Junior Melissa Gardner has scored 11 points with eight rebounds and three assists while shooting 7-for-8 from the free-throw line in the last three games (33 total minutes). 
• Sophomore Jen Lennox has scored six or more points in seven of the last 10 games. The 6-foot-3 forward has a block in 22 career games, including five blocks in the last three games.
• Sophomore Courtney VandeBovenkamp returned to the lineup against Eastern Michigan after missing the first three games of the season due to injury. VandeBovenkamp had five or more rebounds in 15 games as a freshman.
• Junior Ashley Wilkes has at least five rebounds in six of the team's games this season and has recorded at least one steal in each game. Wilkes has shot 50 percent or better in four games this season.
• Freshman Kayla Hoohuli is shooting 46.2 percent on two-point shots. Hoohuli has at least one steal in five of the last six games.
• Freshman Brooke Angelos is averaging 6.2 assists per 40 minutes.

OHIO STATE SCOUT

• Ohio State enters the game with a 7-0 record. The Buckeyes have earned wins against Florida State, LSU and No. 18 Oklahoma.
• Ohio State has scored at least 69 points in all seven games this season.
• Tayler Hill leads the team with a 21.3 points per game average while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from behind the arc. Samantha Prahalis is averaging 18.3 points per game and has 50 assists in seven games.
• Hill and Prahalis have combined to make 31 of the team's 36 3-pointers on the season.
• Ashley Adams leads the team with 6.7 rebounds per game while Kalpana Beach is averaging 6.6 rebounds in 20.0 minutes.
• Ohio State is averaging 75.6 points per game while allowing 58.6 points. The Buckeyes are shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and 35.6 percent from behind the arc. Ohio State forces 15.3 turnovers per game and has a 33.6 offensive rebounding percentage and 65.1 defensive rebounding percentage.
• Jim Foster is in his 10th season at Ohio State and 34th season overall as a head coach. Foster has a 243-62 record at Ohio State. The program has two 30-win seasons under Foster and has made the NCAA Tournament each season under Foster.