Women's Basketball 2/16/2012 5:00:00 PM Canisius College Athletics

Women's Basketball Opens Homestand Friday Night

Game No. 26: Canisius College (12-13, 6-8 MAAC) vs. Marist College (18-7, 13-1 MAAC)
Date: Friday, Feb. 17, 2012
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Koessler Athletic Center
Video: Golden Griffin Broadcast Network/MAAC.TV
Audio: GoGriffs.com
Mike Scott (p-x-p)
Garrett Layton (color)

QUICK HITTERS

The Canisius College women's basketball team returns to the Koessler Athletic Center for its final four games of the regular season, starting with Friday night's game against first-place Marist College.
Marist defeated Canisius 69-57 in the first meeting between the teams on Jan. 4, in Poughkeepsie and has won the last seven meetings between the team in the series.
Through Wednesday 's games, the Griffs are third in the country with an assist on 70.3 percent of their field goals. Canisius has 93 assists in the last five games (15.5 per game).
Junior Ashley Durham leads the team with a 12.5 scoring average in MAAC play. Durham is averaging 6.8 assists in the last five home games and has reached double figures in points in seven of the last nine games overall.
Sophomore Jen Morabito ranks 34th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (38.5).
In MAAC play, freshman Kayla Hoohuli is second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage and is shooting 51.4 percent from behind the arc in the last seven games.
Sophomore Jamie Ruttle is averaging 14.8 points in the last four games.
Canisius ranks fifth nationally in free-throw percentage and currently leads the MAAC at 78.3 percent. Durham ranks 12th nationally (88.2 percent).
In its last 19 games against MAAC opponents, Canisius has held the opposition to 26.2 percent from behind the arc.
Canisius is 6-1 on the season in games decided by five points or fewer or games that have gone to overtime.
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 (5.3). She has scored in double figures 17 times against MAAC opponents and is shooting 55.7 percent on two-point shots in the last 17 games.
Junior Ashley Durham is second in the MAAC in assists per game (4.6). Durham has scored in double figures in seven of the last nine. She ranks first in the conference in free-throw percentage (88.3) - the second-highest percentage in program history.
Sophomore Jen Morabito, a MAAC All-Rookie Team selection, has made 55 3-point field goals this season, accounting for 75.3 percent of her made field goals. Morabito has made three or more 3-pointers in 12 games and has scored in double figures 14 times.
Freshman Kayla Hoohuli is shooting 47.1 percent on 3-pointers through 14 MAAC games, which is second in the conference, and is averaging 10.4 points per game in conference play. Hoohuli has drawn a team-high 10 charges on the season.
Junior Ashley Wilkes has grabbed at least five rebounds in 11 games this season and has recorded at least one steal in 16 games. Wilkes leads the team with a 49.0 field goal percentage, including a 57.1 field goal percentage at home.
Junior Allison Braun, the team's captain for the 2011-12 season, has missed the last eight games and is out indefinitely with a leg injury. Braun is shooting 50.7 percent from the field in her last 14 appearances and has at least one steal in 14 of her last 16 appearances.
Sophomore Courtney VandeBovenkamp has 21 rebounds in her last two appearances, with 12 of those coming on the offensive glass. VandeBovenkamp has made 26 of her last 28 free throws.
Sophomore Jen Lennox has scored six or more points in seven games this season. The 6-foot-3 forward has a block in 29 career games, including six blocks in the last eight games.
Junior Melissa Gardner is averaging 12.5 minutes in the last 10 games and 8.3 rebounds per 40 minutes this season.
Freshman Brooke Angelos is averaging 4.8 assists per 40 minutes, averaging 8.0 minutes in the last three games.

MARIST SCOUT

Marist enters Friday's game with an 18-7 record and is 13-1 in the MAAC.
Preseason MAAC Player of the Year Corielle Yarde ranks fifth in the MAAC in scoring (14.6), seventh in rebounding (6.3), third in assists (4.1) and fifth in blocked shots (1.1).
Fellow senior Brandy Gang is averaging 12.3 points per game in MAAC play while shooting 52.9 percent against conference opponents.
Yarde (32.4 percent) and sophomore Leanne Ockenden (33.3 percent) have made a team-best 44 3-pointers.
Marist shot 10-for-23 on 3-pointers in the first meeting, with Yarde recording a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds), Ockenden scoring 14 and Gang scoring 12 points.
In MAAC play, Marist is averaging 66.5 points per game while allowing 51.6 points. The Red Foxes are shooting 44.3 percent and allowing 34.8 percent. The Red Foxes are first in turnover margin (+4.7), ninth in rebounding margin (-3.5), eighth in defensive rebounding percentage (64.7) and 10th in offensive rebounding percentage (27.5).
Brian Giorgis is in his 10th season at Marist and has a 243-72 record. Giorgis has led the Red Foxes to eight straight MAAC regular-season titles and seven MAAC Championships.

SERIES HISTORY VS. MARIST

Canisius and Marist are meeting for the 38th time, with the Red Foxes holding a 24-13 lead in the all-time series.
Marist has won the last seven meetings between the teams overall and the last seven meetings in the KAC.
The last Canisius win in the series came on Feb. 6, 2009, in a 68-60 win in front of a sold-out crowd at the McCann Center.
The last Canisius win in the KAC came on Feb. 8, 2004, in a 64-51 win.
Jénel Stevens had 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Cheri Wittlieb had 16 points while Becky Zak had nine assists.
Canisius and Marist have met in the postseason five times in the last eight MAAC Championships. Canisius defeated Marist 60-59 in the 2005 MAAC Championship in Buffalo, making the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament (Division I level).
In the most recent meeting between the teams, Marist defeated Canisius 69-57 in the McCann Center (Jan. 4, 2012). Kayla Hoohuli led Canisius with 14 points while Jamie Ruttle and Allison Braun each had 10 points.