Game No. 29
Canisius (17-11, 10-6 MAAC) vs. Saint Peter's (9-18, 3-13 MAAC)
Presented by Anderson's and Army ROTC
Date: Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Koessler Athletic Center (2,196) - Buffalo, N.Y.
Online: ESPN3
Talent: Bob Heussler (p-x-p) and Rob Kennedy (color)
Radio: AM-1400 (Buffalo)
Free Online Audio: GoGriffs.com
Talent: Jay Moran (p-x-p) and Mike Scott (color)
Twitter: @GoGriffs (athletic department) or @Griffs_MBB (men's basketball)
Hashtags: #Griffs  #maachoops 

CANISIUS RETURNS HOME TO MEET SAINT PETER'S

The Canisius College men's basketball team will play a home game for the first time in 26 days this evening when the Golden Griffins host Saint Peter's in the Koessler Center.

The Griffs are 17-11 overall and 10-6 in MAAC play after the team lost on the road to Vermont Feb. 23, in the Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters.

A win tonight would give Canisius 11 MAAC victories this season, which would be the most for the team since the 1998-99 campaign.

FAST BREAK POINTS

Canisius is looking to sweep Saint Peter's for the first time since the 2006-07 season with a win tonight. The Griffs beat the Peacocks 68-59 Feb. 16, in the Yanitelli Center.

A win tonight would also move Canisius to 11-2 at home this season. The Griffs have never won 11 regular-season games in the Koessler Athletic Center in the same year.

Canisius had four players score in double figures in the loss at Vermont Feb. 23. The Griffs have had four or more players record double figures in the scoring column 10 times this season.

The Griffs enter tonight's game ranked second nationally in 3-point field goals per game with 9.3. Canisius had 11 makes from long range in the team's road loss to Vermont last weekend.

Junior guard Billy Baron leads the Griffs with his 16.5 points per game, and his 5.1 assists per outing are tops in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. He was named a finalist for the Lou Henson Award (given to the top mid-major player in the nation) on Monday.

Senior guard Harold Washington scored a season-high 29 points at Vermont last weekend. He has scored 20-or more points in a game five times this year and 14 times in his career.

Senior Alshwan Hymes is averaging 8.8 points per game in the team's last five outings and he starts this contest just three points shy of becoming the 33rd player in school history to reach the 1,000-career point milestone.

ABOUT THE PEACOCKS

Saint Peter's comes into tonight's game with a 9-18 overall record and a 3-13 MAAC mark after the team went on the road and beat Hampton 66-59 Feb. 23.

As a team, the Peacocks are 4-9 on the road but come into tonight's game with an 0-7 mark in MAAC road contests this season.

Redshirt sophomore Desi Washington leads Saint Peter's offensive attack with his 14.9 points per game scoring average. That ranks 10th in the MAAC.

Junior Yvon Raymond is good for 10.1 points per game and a team-high 5.0 rebounds per contest. As a team, Saint Peter's ranks last in the MAAC in rebounding with 31.7 boards per game.

Junior Blaise Frfench ranks third in the MAAC with his 4.7 assists per game.

CANISIUS - SAINT PETER'S SERIES

This will be the 69th all-time meeting between these two Jesuit schools, with Canisius holding a 37-31 lead in the series.

Canisius defeated Saint Peter's 68-59 when the team teams played in Jersey City, N.J., back on Feb. 16. That win snapped the Griffs' five-game road losing streak to the Peacocks.

Canisius is 17-14 all-time against Saint Peter's in the Koessler Athletic Center, but the Peacocks have won four of their last five trips to Buffalo.