2013 MAAC Men's Basketball Championships
Game No. 31 - Quarterfinal Round
Canisius (18-12, 11-7 MAAC) vs. Iona (17-13, 11-7 MAAC)
Date: Saturday, March 9, 2013
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Place: MassMutual Center (7,552) - Springfield, Mass.
Broadcast: ESPN3
Talent: Doug Sherman (p-x-p), Rob Kennedy (color) and Ed Cohen (sideline)
Radio: AM-1400 (Buffalo)
Free Online Audio: GoGriffs.com
Talent: Jay Moran (p-x-p) and Mike Scott (color)
Twitter: @GoGriffs (athletic department) or @Griffs_MBB (men's basketball)
Hashtags: #Griffs  #maachoops 

CANISIUS BATTLES IONA IN MAAC QUARTERFINAL ROUND

• The Canisius College men's basketball team opens its run at the 2013 MAAC Men's Basketball Championship this afternoon when the team plays Iona at 4:30 p.m.
• The Griffs are 18-12 overall and 11-7 in MAAC play after falling to Rider by the score of 65-61 March 2, on Senior Day in the Koessler Athletic Center.
• This marks just the second time since 2000 where the Blue and Gold have earned a first-round bye into the MAAC Tournament Quarterfinal round.

FAST BREAK POINTS

• Canisius is playing Iona in the MAAC Tournament for the sixth time in program history and the Griffs hold a 3-2 record in the previous five contests.
• The Griffs earned the No. 5 seed in this year's tournament, the team's highest seeding in the MAAC Tournament since 1999 when the team was seeded fourth.
• Canisius is 22-22 all-time in MAAC Tournament games. Coming into today's game against Iona, only six members of this year's roster have played in a MAAC Tournament game, led by senior Alshwan Hymes, who has played in four tourney contests.
• The Griffs enter today's game ranked fourth nationally in 3-point field goals per game with 9.2. Canisius hit 26 3-pointers in its two games against Iona this season.
• Junior guard Billy Baron became the first Griff since Darren Fenn in 1999-00 to be named to the All-MAAC First Team when the conference announced its all-star units last Monday. Baron ranks fifth in the MAAC in scoring (16.6 ppg) and leads the league with his 5.1 assists per game.
• Senior guard Harold Washington was named All-MAAC Third Team last Monday. He scored a game-high 24 points in the team's 80-70 loss to Niagara last season in the MAAC Tournament first round game in Springfield, Mass.
• Junior forward Chris Manhertz enters today's game averaging 8.8 rebounds per game this season. He currently ranks 20th all-time in Canisius history with his 542 career boards.

ABOUT THE GAELS

• Iona earned the MAAC Tournament's No. 4 seed after the Gaels posted a 17-13 overall record and an 11-7 mark in MAAC play.
• The Gaels start the postseason having dropped five of their last eight games after losing at Canisius Feb. 2, by a score of 77-74.
• Iona's three-point loss to Canisius in Buffalo Feb. 2, was one of 15 games that Iona played this season where the final score was decided by five points or less. The Gaels were 4-11 in those games.
• As a team, the Gaels start this weekend ranked third in the nation in scoring average with 81.2 points per game.
• Senior guard Lamont Jones won the MAAC's regular-season scoring title with his 23.2 points per game, which ranks third in the country. He was named the MAAC's Player of the Year on Thursday night.
• Junior guard Sean Armand ranks second on the team with 16.8 points per game and his 3.37 3-point field goals per game ranks eighth in the nation. He was named to the All-MAAC Second Team last Monday.
• Sophomore forward David Laury earned All-MAAC Third Team honors in his first season in New Rochelle after he scored 13.0 points to go with 10.1 rebounds per game in 21 contests.

CANISIUS - IONA ALL-TIME SERIES

• This will be the 61st all-time meeting between these two schools in a series that started Feb. 19, 1955 in The Aud in Buffalo.
• Iona holds a 32-28 lead in the series, with the Gaels taking five of the last seven meetings overall.
• This will mark the sixth time these two schools have played in the MAAC Tournament, with Canisius holding a 3-2 lead in that portion of the series.
• The last time these two squads met in the MAAC's postseason event was March 7, 2008, when Canisius became the first No. 10 seed in conference history to earn a win in the tournament when the Griffs posted a 64-59 victory over Iona in Albany, N.Y.
• The Griffs and Gaels have combined for 520 total points in the last three games in this series, dating back to Feb. 2, 2012.