Five Things To Know - Men's Basketball Hosts No. 21 Buffalo

CANISIUS NOTES | BUFFALO NOTES | WATCH | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS

Game No. 11
Canisius (3-7) vs. No. 21/22 Buffalo (11-1)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Buffalo, N.Y. | Koessler Athletic Center
Online Broadcast: ESPN+
Talent: Jay Moran (p-x-p) and Richard Walsh (color)
Live Audio: WECK-Radio Buffalo; Golden Griffin Broadcast Network
Talent: Andy Helwig (p-x-p)
Live Stats: Through GoGriffs.com
Twitter: @Griffs_MBB | #Griffs; #DefendMainStreet #MAACHoops

Five Things to Know Before Canisius Hosts Cross-Town Rival Buffalo
1. Griffs Looking to Rebound
• After nine days off for the Christmas holiday, the Canisius men's basketball team returns to action Saturday when the team hosts cross-town rival Buffalo at the Koessler Athletic Center. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The Golden Griffins are 3-7 after losing to Holy Cross Dec. 20. In that game, Canisius lead by 10 with 5:13 left to play before being outscored 12-0 in the game's final 5:01.

2. Decembers to Remember
• Since 2012-13, Canisius is 32-13 in the month of December. Last year, the Blue and Gold went 5-3 in the final calendar month of the 2017 year, capped with a home win over Iona. Under head coach Reggie Witherspoon, the Griffs are 13-5 in December, with 11 of those victories coming in non-conference games.

3. Long Time, First Time
• Canisius will be hosting Buffalo, the No. 21-ranked team in this week's AP Top-25 poll on Saturday, making the Bulls the first nationally-ranked team to play at game inside the Koessler Athletic Center. The last time Canisius hosted a nationally-ranked team was Dec. 22, 2007 when the Griffs host No. 24 West Virginia in KeyBank Center.

4. Johnson Reaching Milestones
• Canisius junior Malik Johnson was credited with five assists in the team's loss at Holy Cross to give him 326 assists in his career. That ranks 12th in school history. Johnson also recorded two steals at Holy Cross, which allowed him to become the 19th player in school history to record 100 career steals.

5. Hitchon Earns Another Career High
• Sophomore Scott Hitchon grabbed a career-high eight rebounds at Holy Cross Dec. 20. In the team's last five games, the Whitby, Ontario native is averaging 11.0 points per game, which ranks second on the team.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Scott Hitchon: F; 6' 8"; Sophomore

#1 Malik Johnson: G; 5' 10"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#21 Scott Hitchon
: 6' 8"; Sophomore
: F

#1 Malik Johnson
: 5' 10"; Junior
: G

Players Mentioned

#21 Scott Hitchon

#1 Malik Johnson

Players Mentioned

#21 Scott Hitchon

#1 Malik Johnson