QUICK HITTERS

• The Canisius College women's basketball team returns home to face rival Niagara University in the KAC on Thursday evening on ESPN3.
• Canisius is hosting a game on an ESPN network for the third consecutive year and for the fifth time in the last seven seasons.
• Canisius has won three straight and seven of the last 10 meetings with the Purple Eagles.
• Thursday's game is part of the all-sports Battle of the Bridge competition between the schools. Canisius won the 2010-11 Canal Cup and has won three of the last four years.
• The Griffs rank sixth in the country with an assist on 69 percent of their field goals. 
• Canisius leads the MAAC in free-throw percentage (77.6) and ranks 13th nationally.
• Junior Ashley Durham ranks 10th in the country in free-throw percentage.  Durham has 26 assists in the last four home games and leads the team with a 13.3 scoring average through six conference games. 
• Canisius has won its last five home games overall and its last four MAAC home games. 
• Sophomore Jamie Ruttle leads the team in scoring and rebounding. The Burlington, Ontario native is averaging 12.4 points in the last 11 games and is shooting 53.4 percent on two-point shots in the last nine games.
• Freshman Kayla Hoohuli has scored 66 points in the opening six MAAC games, the fourth-highest total by a Canisius freshman in program history.
• 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 (11.2) and rebounding (5.2). She has scored in double figures in seven of the last 11 games and is shooting 53.4 percent inside the arc in the last nine games.
• Sophomore Jen Morabito, a MAAC All-Rookie Team selection, has made 34 3-point field goals this season, accounting for 72.3 percent of her made field goals. Morabito has made three or more 3-pointers in seven games and is tied for team lead by scoring in double figures nine times.
• Junior Allison Braun, the team's captain for the 2011-12 season, is shooting 50.7 percent from the field in the last 14 games. Braun has at least five rebounds in eight games and has at least one steal in 14 of the last 16 games.
• Junior Ashley Durham has 44 assists in the last nine contests and is third in the MAAC in assists per game (4.2). Durham also ranks first in the conference in free-throw percentage (89.6) and has made 59 of her last 63 free throws.
• Freshman Kayla Hoohuli has 26 3-pointers in the last 12 games. She had 10 rebounds against Iona, the first Golden Griffin with double-digit boards in a game this season. Hoohuli has drawn a team-high seven charges on the season and is averaging 10.6 points in the last nine games.
• Sophomore Courtney VandeBovenkamp is averaging 6.5 points and 4.4 rebounds in the last eight games.  She had a career-high with five blocks against Cornell on Dec. 28. VandeBovenkamp has made her last 14 free throws.
• Junior Ashley Wilkes has at least five rebounds in eight games this season and has recorded at least one steal in 11 games. Wilkes leads the team with a 51.9 field goal percentage, including a 59.5 field goal percentage at home.
• Sophomore Jen Lennox has scored six or more points in six games this season. The 6-foot-3 forward has a block in 25 career games, including eight blocks in her last 11 appearances.
• Junior Melissa Gardner is averaging 8.7 rebounds per 40 minutes and has made 11 of her last 15 free throws.  
• Freshman Brooke Angelos is averaging 5.3 assists per 40 minutes. 

NIAGARA SCOUT

• Niagara enters Thursday's game with a 5-13 record and 2-4 record in the MAAC, after losses at Siena and Marist last weekend.
• Niagara is 2-8 away from home, including a 57-54 win at Loyola on Jan. 2.
• Sophomore Kayla Stroman leads the team at 9.7 points per game and also has 58 assists. Stroman missed a majority of last season with an injury.
• Sophomore Lauren Gatto leads the team at 5.7 rebounds per game and is also averaging 8.6 points per game to go along with 16 blocks.
• Freshman Val McQuade leads the team with a 40.6 3-point field goal percentage while freshman Meghan McGuinness has made a team-best 17 3-pointers.
• Niagara averages 50.5 points per game and allows 62.0 points per game.
• In MAAC play, Niagara is ninth in scoring margin, eighth in field goal percentage, fourth in field goal percentage defense, fifth in turnover margin, seventh in 3-point field goals made, fifth in defensive rebounding percentage and eighth in offensive rebounding percentage.
• Kendra Faustin is in her fifth season after three years as an assistant coach under Terry Zeh. The 2010 MAAC Coach of the Year led Niagara to the semifinals of the 2010 MAAC Championship.

SERIES HISTORY VS. NIAGARA

• Canisius and Niagara are playing for the 80th time, with the Golden Griffins holding a 47-32 lead in the all-time series.
• Canisius has won three straight and seven of the last 10 meetings with the Purple Eagles.
• The teams have met in the postseason three times in the last four years as Canisius has won each by double digits, including a 63-52 win in the first round of the 2011 MAAC Championship.
• Canisius has won five of the last seven between the teams in the Koessler Athletic Center.
• Thursday's game will be the 34th Canisius-Niagara game that coach Terry Zeh has been a part of after eight years leading the Griffs and seven years as an assistant with the men's team.

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE

• This matchup for Canisius and Niagara is the first of two Battle of the Bridge matchups between the schools in women's basketball.
• Niagara has a 6.5 to 4.5 lead in the points after the fall sports.
• The Battle of the Bridge is an all-sports competition between the schools. Points are awarded for all regular-season, conference match-ups between the schools, except for cross country, swimming and diving and golf where the points are awarded based on results in the MAAC Championship.
• After a 20-13 victory last year, Canisius has now won three of the last four competitions. Niagara won the inaugural competition in 2006-07 and also won in 2009-10 while Canisius also won in 2007-08 and 2008-09. 
• Canisius needs 16.5 points to retain the Cup while Niagara needs 17 points to reclaim the Cup.
• Each basketball meeting is worth two points.