The Canisius College men's
basketball team will travel to play at Vermont on ESPN3 on Saturday, Feb. 23 as
part of the Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters, ESPN announced tonight. Game time
has been set for 1 p.m. This marks the first time the Golden Griffins have
earned one of the 13 nationally televised games in the BracketBusters series.
The
Catamounts are 14-7 overall and 7-2 in America East play under the direction of
second-year head coach John Becker. Junior forward Clancy Ruff, who is posting
11.1 points per game, leads Vermont's offense, which is averaging 62.0 points
per game this season. The Catamounts have three players scoring in double
figures, as junior guard Sandro Carissimo and junior forward Luke Apfeld are
each good for 10.1 points per contest. Junior forward Brian Voelkel is good for
8.0 rebounds per game, which leads the team and ranks fourth in America East. Vermont's
key to success this season has been its defense, as the Catamounts are allowing
57.9 points per game this year. That ranks first in America East and 19th
nationally in scoring defense.
The
meeting between Canisius and Vermont will be the 17th all-time
contest between the two schools and it will mark the first time the Griffs and
the Catamounts have played a game since Jan. 28, 1991. Canisius is 15-1 in the
previous 16 games and the Griffs have won 15 straight in the series, which
dates back to Jan. 4, 1982. Canisius is 8-0 all-time in Vermont's Patrick
Gymnasium, having last played there Jan. 23, 1990, where the team scored a
67-64 victory. Both Canisius and Vermont were formerly members of the North
Atlantic Conference.
Canisius is
one of 10 schools from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference participating in
this year's BracketBusters event. The Golden Griffins have played in the
BracketBusters series seven times and the team holds a 5-2 record in those
seven previous contests. The Griffs are a road team in this year's
BracketBuster event, and as part of the agreement, all 71 home teams will play
a return game at the home facility of their opponent in November or December of
the 2013-14 season.
This
season, the Griffs are 15-8 overall and 8-4 in MAAC play after the Blue and
Gold defeated Iona 77-74 at home Feb. 2. The 15 wins this season are 10 more
than the team had all of last year, and it also stands as the most victories
for the program by Feb. 2 since the 1985-86 campaign. Canisius opens a
five-game road stretch Thursday, Feb. 7, at Manhattan, with game time set for 7
p.m. That game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
