Five Things to Know: Women’s Basketball to Square Off With Fairfield on Saturday

Game No. 21
Canisius (3-17, 1-10 MAAC) at Fairfield (14-6, 11-1 MAAC)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 5
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Bridgeport, Conn. | Webster Bank Arena
Broadcast: ESPN+
Talent: JJ Duke (play-by-play) and Kate Abromovitch (analyst)
Live Stats: Via FairfieldStags.com
Twitter: @GriffsWBB | #Griffs | #MAACHoops
Instagram: @GriffsWBB | #Griffs | #MAACHoops

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1. Opening Tip
Canisius plays the middle game of its three-game road trip Saturday when it takes on MAAC-leading Fairfield at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn.

2. Last Time Out
Iona scored 54 of its 66 points inside the paint, aiding the Gaels to a 66-55 victory over Canisius in MAAC women's basketball action Thursday from the Hynes Athletics Center in New Rochelle, N.Y.

Iona senior Ketsia Athias posted 24 points and 15 rebounds – both of which were Division I career highs – for her second double-double as a member of the Gaels, while sophomore Thoranna Hodge-Carr chipped in a single-game best 15 points.

Freshman Athina Lexa scored a team-high 14 points, posting her fifth double-digit point total in her last six games. Sophomore Dani Haskell added 11 points, six rebounds and a career-high six assists for Canisius.

3. Series History
Saturday will mark the 68th all-time meeting between the two Jesuit institutions. Fairfield holds the advantage in the series, 42-25, including a 21-8 mark on their home floor.

Canisius is winless in its last 10 road games against Fairfield, not having won since a 55-51 victory on Feb. 14, 2009.

Eight of the last 10 meetings on Fairfield's home floor — including the previous seven — have been decided by single digits. Four of those seven games have been settled within six points.

4. Three-Point Reliance
Canisius has scored 477 of its 1125 points (42.4 percent) this season from beyond the 3-point line, ranking as the 3rd-highest among Division I programs. Only FGCU (651 of 1458 - 44.7 percent) and Middle Tennessee (552 of 1295 - 42.6 percent) have higher percentages. Monmouth is second in the MAAC and 51st nationally with 34.6 percent of its points (360 of 1041) from 3-pointers.

Dating back to the beginning of the 2020-21 season, the Griffs have had a reliance on the 3-pointer, scoring 42.1 percent of its 1368 points (576) from 3-point field goals. That total ranks as the 4th-highest percentage for a Division I program, trailing FGCU (43.9 percent), UC San Diego (42.21 percent) and Valparaiso (42.18 percent).

Monmouth is the closest MAAC program to the Griffs, ranking 106th with 30.5 percent (570 of 1869 points).

5. New Role, No Problems
Freshman Athina Lexa has stepped up offensively over her last six games, earning a start in each of the last five contests.

Since scoring 14 points off the bench against Saint Peter's on Jan. 20, Lexa has netted at least eight points in her last six appearances. In those games, she has posted 10-plus points in all but one.

Over her last six games, Lexa has averaged 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals in just over 26 minutes of action per contest. She is also shooting 41.7 percent from the floor (25-of-60) and 36.0 percent from 3-point range (9-of-25) during the span.

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

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Players Mentioned

#14 Dani Haskell: G; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#12 Athina Lexa: G; 5' 9"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#14 Dani Haskell
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: G

#12 Athina Lexa
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: G

Players Mentioned

#14 Dani Haskell

#12 Athina Lexa

Players Mentioned

#14 Dani Haskell

#12 Athina Lexa