Men’s Basketball Announces Full 2021-22 Schedule

A home game with cross-town rival Buffalo at KeyBank Center, a road contest at longtime rival St. Bonaventure and a 20-game MAAC slate highlight the 2021-22 Canisius men's basketball schedule, which was announced by head coach Reggie Witherspoon today.

The 118th season in program history officially tips off Nov. 9 at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. The Golden Griffins and Hurricanes will be meeting on the hardwood for the first time, with the game at the ACC member school marking Canisius' first season-opener at an ACC opponent since the team took on Duke to begin the 1992-93 campaign.

Season tickets for the 2021-22 men's basketball season are on sale now through the Canisius Ticket Office. To renew, or purchase new season ticket plans, CLICK HERE.

The game at Miami is the first of four road games to open the season for the Blue and Gold, as Canisius will follow its game at Miami with a road date at East Carolina Nov. 12. The 169th all-time meeting between Canisius and long-time rival St. Bonaventure is set for Nov. 14, at the Reilly Center in Olean, N.Y. The Griffs and the Bonnies did not play last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first time the two schools failed to meet on the hardwood since 2001-02 campaign. Canisius won the last game between the programs on Nov. 23, 2019 – a 61-57 victory for the Blue and Gold in a contest that was played at KeyBank Center.

Canisius will close out its four-game road swing to start the season on Nov. 20, when the team travels to play at defending Horizon League tournament champion Cleveland State. The Griffs start their 44th season of basketball in the Koessler Athletic Center on Nov. 22, when the team hosts Fredonia. The Blue Devils are under the direction of head coach Sean Smiley, who played his college ball under Witherspoon at the University at Buffalo from 2005-10. The Fredonia game is the first in a five-game homestand for the Griffs, as Canisius will also play host to Coppin State (Nov. 24) and Cornell (Nov. 29) before starting MAAC play Dec. 3 and Dec. 5.

The Griffs' first home MAAC weekend will feature games against Fairfield and Monmouth. In all, Canisius is scheduled to play 20 MAAC games this season, with the bulk of the MAAC schedule resuming New Year's Eve when the team travels to play at Saint Peter's. In between MAAC action, the Griffs will close out the non-league portion of this year's slate, starting with road games at Northern Kentucky (Dec. 8) and Youngstown State (Dec. 11), before returning home to play cross-town rival Buffalo at KeyBank Center Dec. 18.

The match-up with Buffalo will be the second game in a college basketball doubleheader at KeyBank Center. The Griffs and Bulls, who did not meet last season, will square off following Niagara's non-league game against UAlbany. Game times and ticket information for the Big 4 Basketball Doubleheader will be announced in the near future. Canisius season ticket holders will have their tickets to the downtown event included as part of their 2021-22 season ticket plan.

Highlights of the Griffs' league slate include a pair of games against long-time rival Niagara, a team that the Blue and Gold did not play during the 2020-21 campaign. The Griffs and the Purple Eagles will meet Jan. 14 at the Gallagher Center, with Niagara making the trip to Main Street to close the regular-season series on Saturday, Feb. 19. Canisius is scheduled to host five-time defending MAAC champion Iona at the Koessler Athletic Center Feb. 4, and the Blue and Gold will wrap up the 2021-22 regular season with a pair of home dates against Marist (March 3) and Siena (March 5).

Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to GoGriffs.com and the team's social media channels in the coming weeks for special promotional nights and a full broadcast announcement in advance of the 2021-22 campaign.

For complete coverage of Canisius men's basketball, please follow the Griffs on social media at @Griffs_MBB on Twitter and Instagram.

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