Game No. 14
Canisius (9-4, 2-0 MAAC) vs. Fairfield (9-5, 1-1 MAAC)
Presented by Papa Jake's
Date: Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Koessler Athletic Center (2,196) - Buffalo, N.Y.
TV: None
Video: GoGriffs.com and MAAC.tv
Radio: AM-1400 (Buffalo)
Free Online Audio: GoGriffs.com
Talent: Jay Moran (p-x-p) and Dave Schofield (color)
Twitter: @GoGriffs (athletic department) or @Griffs_MBB (men's basketball)
Hashtags: #Griffs  #maachoops 

CANISIUS HOSTS FAIRFIELD IN MAAC ACTION

• The Canisius College men's basketball team returns to league play tonight when the Golden Griffins play host to Fairfield in the Koessler Athletic Center.
• The Griffs are 9-4 overall and 2-0 in MAAC play after falling to Detroit by a score of 83-78 on the road Dec. 30, in the team's final game of the Chevrolet Gotham Classic.
• Canisius' nine victories prior to Jan. 1, are a new program record. The Blue and Gold previously won eight games before the New Year holiday in 1950-51, 1956-57 and 1995-96.

FAST BREAK POINTS

• Canisius' win over Alcorn State Dec. 27 moved the team to 5-0 at home this year. Dating back to last season, the Griffs have won six straight at home, the team's longest home win streak since 2010-11.
• The Griffs have been red-hot from 3-point land over their last eight games, as the team comes into tonight's contest with 94 3-pointers since the team's game at Fairfield Dec. 7.
• Canisius ranks second in the nation in 3-point field goals made per game with 9.7 per contest. The team has hit 10 or more 3-pointers in six of its last seven games.
• Junior guard Billy Baron was named the MAAC's Player of the Week Dec. 31, the second time this season he's been recognized by the conference.
• Baron comes into tonight's game ranked fourth in the MAAC in scoring average (17.8 ppg) and second in assists per game with 5.5 per contest.
• Senior Isaac Sosa is averaging 16.0 points per game in the team's last seven games after he scored 17 points at Detroit. His 17 points against the Titans Dec. 30 allowed him to reach the 1,000 career point mark, including his time at Central Florida.
• Canisius head coach Jim Baron comes into tonight's game against Fairfield with a career record of 398-373 in 26 years. Among all of Canisius' head coaches, only former head coach and current Michigan bench boss John Beilein (579) has more career victories.
• Fairfield is 9-5 on the season, having not lost since the Griffs beat the Stags back on Dec. 7.

ABOUT THE STAGS

• Fairfield comes into tonight's game riding a five-game winning streak, with the team's last loss coming Dec. 7, when Canisius defeated the Stags by a score of 67-55 in Bridgeport, Conn.
• The Stags are 9-5 overall and 1-1 in MAAC play in 2012-13.
• Senior guard Derek Needham leads the Stags in scoring average with his 14.6 points per game. He is the only player on the Fairfield roster averaging double figures in the scoring column and he ranks eighth in the MAAC in points per game.
• Freshman forward Amadou Sidibe leads the Stags in rebounding with his 5.6 boards per game. That ranks ninth in the league.
• As a team, Fairfield ranks second in the MAAC in scoring defense, as the team is allowing 61.6 points per game. In Fairfield's five-straight wins, the Stags have held each opponent to less than 60 points.
• Offensively, the Stags are scoring 62.6 points per game, which ranks sixth in the MAAC and 280th nationally. The Stags have scored 70 or more points three times, and the team has not reached 70 on the scoreboard since beating Austin Peay on the road Dec. 1.

CANISIUS - FAIRFILED SERIES

• Tonight's game will be the 75th all-time meeting between these two Jesuit schools, with Fairfield holding a 43-31 advantage in the series.
• The Griffs snapped the Stags' nine-game winning streak in this series Dec. 7, when the Blue and Gold traveled to Bridgeport, Conn., and posted a 67-55 victory.
• Canisius is 19-17 all-time in home games in this series, which dates back to Dec. 20, 1962. However, dating back to the 2002-03 season, Fairfield has won four straight and eight of the last 10 games played on Canisius' home court (including the Jan. 2, 2010 meeting in First Niagara Center).
• Including Canisius' win early this season, Fairfield has held Canisius to 65 points or less in eight of the last 10 games in this series.