Game No. 28: Canisius College (9-18, 5-11 MAAC) vs. Niagara University (1-26, 0-16 MAAC)
Date: Thursday, February 24, 2011
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Koessler Athletic Center — Buffalo, N.Y.
Video Broadcast: GoGriffs.com
Audio Broadcast: GoGriffs.com
      Talent: Mike Scott (p-x-p)

QUICK HITTERS

• The Canisius College women's basketball team concludes its 2010-11 home schedule against rival Niagara University on Thursday night.
• Canisius defeated Niagara 56-49 in the first meeting between the teams in the Gallagher Center on Feb. 12.
• This matchup for Canisius and Niagara is the second and final of two Battle of the Bridge contests between the schools in women's basketball for the 2010-11 season.
• Canisius has four freshmen in the top 11 in scoring in the league (Jamie Ruttle leads MAAC freshmen at 9.4) and three of the top five in rebounding. 
• In conference play, Ruttle is 16th in the MAAC in scoring (10.5). 
• Senior Micayla Drysdale is the MAAC's active leader in 3-point field goals (181) and is second in program history in 3-point field goal percentage (37.5). 
• In the last six games, Drysdale is averaging 11.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 38.7 percent on 3-pointers, 34.7 minutes per game
• Drysdale has scored in double figures in four straight games for the first time in her career.
• Freshman Jen Lennox set career highs with 16 points and 26 minutes in win over Rider on Sunday.
• Junior Steph MacDonald is averaging 8.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in the last 11 games.
• Jen Morabito ranks second among MAAC freshmen in 3-point field goals made (40) and is the sixth Canisius freshman, and fourth in the last six years, to make 40 or more 3-pointers.
• Prior to the start of Thursday's game, the Golden Griffins will honor the three members of their senior class — Drysdale, Tauralee Tenn and Caitlin Krull, along with senior manager Jeff Rinus.
• Thursday's game is the 33rd Canisius-Niagara game in the coaching career of Terry Zeh, who was an assistant for the Canisius men's team for seven years. Zeh is 17-15 in the previous 32 games, 11-5 as head coach of the Griffs

SCOUTING THE GRIFFS

• Senior Micayla Drysdale ranks second in the Canisius career record books in 3-point field goal percentage at 37.5 percent. Drysdale has made two or more 3-pointers in 55 games in her career.
• The Binbrook, Ontario native ranks fifth in program history with 181 career 3-point field goals and is also the MAAC's active leader in the category.
• Drysdale has a 1.28 assist-turnover ratio in 68 career MAAC games.
• In conference play, freshman Jamie Ruttle, a two-time MAAC Rookie of the Week, is 16th in the MAAC in scoring (10.5) and has scored eight or more points in 14 of the last 17 games.
• On the season, Ruttle is first among MAAC freshmen in scoring (9.4) and is for second in rebounding (4.9), averaging 6.1 rebounds in the last 10 games.
• Junior Steph MacDonald is shooting 48.6 percent on two-point shots in MAAC play this season and 53.7 percent inside the arc in her career against conference opponents. 
• MacDonald has at least one steal in 21 games, three or more assists in nine games, seven or more rebounds in nine games and is averaging 2.3 offensive rebounds since Dec. 21.
• Freshman Jen Morabito, a two-time MAAC Rookie of the Week, is third among MAAC freshmen in scoring at 8.4 points per game and is second in 3-pointers made (40).
• Morabito is fourth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (36.4), making at least one 3-pointer in 19 of 23 games and multiple 3-pointers in 11 games overall.
• Morabito is averaging 10.8 points in her 13 starts, scoring double figures seven times.
• Freshman Jen Lennox, one of two Griffs (along with MacDonald) to play in all 27 games this season, has started two of the last three games.
• Lennox is second among MAAC freshmen in blocks (22) and had a season-high four at Niagara.
• Freshman Courtney VandeBovenkamp, a two-time MAAC Rookie of the Week, has five or more rebounds in 13 games on the season.
• In MAAC play, VandeBovenkamp is tied for second among MAAC freshmen in rebounding (4.8).
• Sophomore Ashley Durham is second on the team in scoring (9.3), ranking 18th in the conference.
• Durham is eighth in assists per game (2.6) and has at least one steal in 10 of the last 14 games (including nine steals in the last five games) and recorded at least four rebounds in 11 of the last 14 games.
• Sophomore Melissa Gardner has made nine starts on the season and is averaging 9.6 rebounds per 40 minutes. 
• Gardner has recorded a block in 11 games and a steal in six of the last seven games.
• Sophomore Allison Braun has appeared in 25 games, making three starts. Braun has committed one turnover in her last 103 minutes played.
• Braun has made six of her last 11 field-goal attempts.
• Senior Tauralee Tenn is averaging 10.7 minutes in her last 12 appearances after averaging 7.1 minutes in her first seven appearances.
• Senior Caitlin Krull is averaging 8.5 rebounds per 40 minutes.

NIAGARA SCOUT

• Niagara enters Thursday's game with a 1-26 overall record and 0-16 record in the MAAC.
• The Purple Eagles have dropped 21 straight games, including a 79-73 triple-overtime loss to Rider on Friday night.
• Senior Liz Flooks leads the Purple Eagles at 10.6 points per game. Flooks has made 41 3-pointers on the season with the rest of the team making 30 3-pointers on the season.
• Sophomore Kayla Stroman, the 2010 MAAC Rookie of the Year, has missed 19 games with an injury and junior Ali Morris has missed 11 games as well.
• Niagara has three of the top nine freshmen in the league in scoring, led by Katie Gattuso at 7.0 points per game. 
• Shy Britton leads MAAC freshmen with 28 blocks.
• In MAAC play, Niagara ranks 10th in scoring margin, 10th in rebounding margin, ninth in turnover margin, 10th in defensive rebounding percentage and eighth in offensive rebounding percentage.
• Kendra Faustin is in her fourth season at Niagara. The former Canisius assistant led Niagara to the MAAC semifinals last season and was the 2010 MAAC Coach of the Year.

SERIES HISTORY VS. NIAGARA

• Canisius and Niagara are meeting for the 77th time, with Canisius holding a 44-32 lead in the all-time series.
• Seventh-year coach Terry Zeh is 11-5 against Niagara as head coach of the women's basketball team, including 3-0 in the MAAC Championship.
• Canisius owns a 21-12 home record against Niagara and has won four of the last six games between the teams in the KAC.
• Each of the last five Niagara wins has been by six points or fewer while six of the last eight Canisius wins have been by double digits.

RECAP OF LAST MEETINGS

• Jaclyn Konieczka made a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining to give Niagara its only lead of the game in the 49-46 win in the KAC on Feb. 19, 2010, for the Purple Eagles.
• After Niagara took a 27-26 lead with 16:37 remaining, Canisius used a 14-2 run to take control en route to the 56-49 win in the Gallagher Center.
• Freshman Jamie Ruttle and senior Micayla Drysdale led Canisius with 11 points apiece. Liz Flooks led Niagara with 24 points and 10 rebounds, including 5-for-9 shooting on 3-pointers.

SECOND BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE MATCHUP

• This matchup for Canisius and Niagara is the second and final of two Battle of the Bridge contests between the schools in women's basketball for the 2010-11 season.
• The Battle of the Bridge is an all-sports competition between the schools. The school that wins the each women's basketball game earns two points. 
• The teams have split the four competitions. Niagara reclaimed the Canal Cup last season after Canisius won in 2007-08 and 2008-09. Niagara won the inaugural competition in 2006-07. The
• The Canal Cup is awarded to the school with the most points at the end of the athletic season. 
• Canisius needs 17 total points to win the Cup. Niagara needs 16.5 total points to retain the Cup.
• Niagara currently holds a 12-11 lead in the competition.
• The teams will meet in women's lacrosse, softball, golf and baseball during the spring season.