Game No. 17
Canisius vs. Iona
Date: Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Buffalo, N.Y. | Koessler Athletic Center
Online: GoGriffs.com & MAAC.TV
Talent: Jay Moran (p-x-p) and Cory Magee (color)
Live Audio: 1230-AM/102.9-FM (Buffalo) & GoGriffs.com
Talent: Jay Moran (p-x-p) and Cory Magee (color)
Live Stats: GoGriffs.com
Twitter: @Griffs_MBB | #Griffs; #RunWithUS; #MAACHoops

The Canisius men's basketball team closes out the MAAC regular-season series with Iona this afternoon when the Golden Griffins and the Gaels meet for the second time in eight days.

FASTBREAK POINTS
• Canisius closes out the regular-season series against Iona this afternoon when the two teams meet in the Koessler Athletic Center.
• The Golden Griffins and the Gaels met just eight days ago in New Rochelle, N.Y., where Iona posted a 79-76 win.
• Canisius comes into today's game with a 9-7 overall record and a 4-3 mark in MAAC play.
• The Griffs' 83-49 win over Siena on Friday night stands as the program's second-largest MAAC victory. The school record for largest margin of victory in a league game is 46, set Feb. 8, 1997 when Canisius beat Fairfield 91-45 at home.
• The Griffs have held nine opponents to 60-points or less this season. Canisius ranks second in the MAAC and 67th nationally in scoring defense at 61.4 points per game.
• In the team's last seven wins (dating back to Dec. 3 at Saint Peter's), Canisius' defense has allowing an average of 54.9 points per game.
• The Griffs' 83 points in the win over Siena stands as the best scoring output for the team this season.
• Sophomore Phil Valenti led all scorers with 22 points in the win over Siena on Friday. He went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line in the win.
• Senior Jeremiah Williams chipped in 12 points, a career-high six steals and three assists. In the team's five games, he's averaging 2.4 steals per game.

LOCKING IT DOWN AT HOME
• Canisius improved to 5-3 on the season with its 83-49 win over Siena Friday night. The win snapped the Griffs' two-game home losing streak after the team lost to Monmouth and Manhattan at home two weeks ago.
• In that win over Siena, Canisius held the Saints to just 29.4 percent (15-for-51) from the field. For the year, the Griffs have held visiting teams to 38.0 from the floor while only allowing 59.9 points per game.
• If you were to take out the Griffs' “home game” against Buffalo, which was played in First Niagara Center, the team's home defensive numbers are event better. Opponents are shooting 36.2 percent from the field inside the Koessler Athletic Center while averaging 58.1 points per game.

SCOUTING IONA
• The Gaels comes into today's game with a 13-5 overall record and a 6-1 mark in MAAC play.
• Iona has won six straight, including an 80-79 victory at Niagara on Friday.
• As a team, Iona is averaging 83.6 points per game, which ranks fourth nationally. The Gaels' 79 points against the Griffs last week stand as the most for a Canisius opponent this year.
• Iona also ranks fourth nationally in 3-point field goals made per game (10.9) while ranking second in the country in 3-point field goal percentage at 43.2 percent.
• Junior guard A.J. English leads the MAAC and ranks fourth in the nation with his 21.2 points per game scoring average. He making 3.3 3-pointers per game this season, which ranks ninth nationally.
• Senior forward David Laury, the 2014-15 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, ranks second in the league and 10th in the country with his 20.5 points per game. He also ranks 32nd nationally with 9.1 rebounds per contest.

CANISIUS - IONA SERIES
• This is the 66th meeting between these two schools and Iona leads the series 36-29.
• Iona comes into this afternoon's game on a three-game winning streak in the series, having defeated Canisius 79-76 just eight days ago in New Rochelle, N.Y.
• The Gaels scored a 101-91 win over the Griffs Feb. 9, 2014. That 10-point victory stands as the largest margin of victory for either team in the last six contests, dating back to the 2012-13 season.
• Canisius is 19-11 at home in the series and the Griffs hold a 12-9 record when playing in the Koessler Athletic Center.