Women's Basketball 2/9/2012 3:02:00 PM Canisius College Athletics

Women's Basketball Starts Jersey Swing At Rider

Game No. 24: Canisius College (11-12, 5-7 MAAC) at Rider University (10-13, 2-10 MAAC)
Date: Friday, Feb. 10, 2012
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Alumni Gymnasium (Lawrenceville, N.J.)
Video: GoGriffs.com/GoBroncs.com
MAAC.TV
Audio: GoGriffs.com
Mike Scott (p-x-p)

QUICK HITTERS

The Canisius College women's basketball team concludes its four-game road trip with a weekend, two-game swing to New Jersey, starting with Friday night's game at Rider.
Canisius defeated Rider 60-54 in the first game between the teams on Jan. 29, in the KAC.
Through Wednesday 's games, the Griffs are fourth in the country with an assist on 69.7 percent of their field goals. Canisius has 65 assists in the last four games (16.3 per game).
In Saturday's 58-57 win at Niagara, the Griffs rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit and won for the third time this season, the most by a Canisius team in the last 10 years.
Sophomore Jamie Ruttle earned Jesuit Basketball Spotlight Honor Roll accolades on Wednesday after averaging 20.5 points while shooting 71.4 percent in two games last week, including a career-high 24 points against Loyola on Feb. 2.
Junior Ashley Durham leads the team with a 12.6 scoring average through 12 conference games. Durham has seven or more assists in three of the last four games.
Sophomore Jen Morabito ranks 26th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (39.4). Morabito is the 10th player in program history to make 50 3-pointers in a season.
Freshman Kayla Hoohuli is shooting 46.7 percent on 3-pointers in conference play.
Entering the week, Canisius ranks sixth nationally in free-throw percentage and currently leads the MAAC at 78.4 percent. Durham ranks 11th nationally (88.2 percent).
In its last 17 games against MAAC opponents, Canisius has held the opposition to 26.4 percent, from behind the arc.
Of the 16 MAAC games this year that have gone to overtime or have been decided by six points or fewer, Canisius has played in six of them. The Griffs are 4-2 in those six games.
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 (11.4) and rebounding (5.4). She has scored in double figures 17 times against MAAC opponents and is shooting 57.8 percent on two-point shots in the last 15 games.
Junior Ashley Durham is second in the MAAC in assists per game (4.5). Durham has scored in double figures in five of the last seven and 10 of the last 15 games. She ranks first in the conference in free-throw percentage (88.2).
Sophomore Jen Morabito, a MAAC All-Rookie Team selection, has made 50 3-point field goals this season, accounting for 75.8 percent of her made field goals. Morabito has made three or more 3-pointers in 11 games and has scored in double figures 13 times.
Freshman Kayla Hoohuli is shooting 46.7 percent on 3-pointers through 12 MAAC games, which is second in the conference, and is averaging 9.8 points per game in conference play. Hoohuli has drawn a team-high nine charges on the season.
Junior Ashley Wilkes has grabbed at least five rebounds in 10 games this season and has recorded at least one steal in 15 games. Wilkes leads the team, and ranks second in the MAAC, with a 51.1 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 six 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 had nine rebounds Niagara on Saturday, with six of the nine being offensive rebounds. VandeBovenkamp has made 22 of her last 24 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 27 career games, including four of the last six.
Junior Melissa Gardner is averaging 13.1 minutes in the last nine games and 8.3 rebounds per 40 minutes.
Freshman Brooke Angelos is averaging 5.3 assists per 40 minutes.

RIDER SCOUT

Rider enters with a 10-13 overall record and is 2-10 in the MAAC. The Broncs have lost eight straight, with their last win coming Jan. 9, against Loyola (67-61).
Sophomore MyNeshia McKenzie leads the team at 11.5 points per game and leads the MAAC at 9.1 rebounds. McKenzie led Rider with 16 points and nine rebounds in the first meeting with Canisius.
The Broncs are without their second-leading scorer Sironda Chambers (10.0 ppg, academics) and third-leading scorer Ali Heller (9.4 ppg, knee injury).
Junior center Caitlin Bopp is averaging 8.7 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting 48.5 percent from the field.
Senior captain Alyssa Parsons leads the team with 68 assists and had six assists against Canisius on Jan. 29.
In MAAC play, Rider is averaging 53.4 points per game while allowing 64.8 points. The Broncs are shooting 33.0 percent from the floor and allowing 42.4 percent. The Broncs are seventh in turnover margin (-0.7), fourth in defensive rebounding percentage (67.5) and sixth in offensive rebounding percentage (33.4).
Lynn Milligan is in her fifth season at her alma mater (1992). The Broncs have won 10 games for the second time under Milligan.

SERIES HISTORY VS. RIDER

Canisius owns a 25-7 lead in the all-time series with the Broncs. The Griffs have won 11 of 15 all-time meetings in Alumni Gymnasium at Lawrenceville, N.J.
Rider defeated Canisius 68-58 in the meeting between the teams in Lawrenceville last season (Jan. 10, 2011). The Broncs built a 20-point lead (52-32) and Canisius could only cut the deficit to six.Ashley Durham had 13 points while Jamie Ruttle had 10 points.
Canisius defeated Rider 60-54, in the first meeting between the teams this season (Jan. 29). The Griffs made 10 3-pointers and had five players in double figures. Durham had 10 points and nine assists. Ashley Wilkes had 13 points and six rebounds while Kayla Hoohuli had 13 points, going 4-for-8 on 3-pointers.
held a 10-point second-half lead before the Broncs cut the deficit to one. The Griffs used 3-pointers from Hoohuli and Morabito along with five free throws in the final 33 seconds to put the game away.