Men's Basketball Travels to Eastern Michigan
Courtesy: Canisius College Athletics
          Release: 11/29/2009
Files available Send this article to a friend
Full Game Notes (PDF) Full Game Notes (PDF)

Game No. 5
Canisius (3-1) at Eastern Michigan (4-2)
Date: Monday, November 30, 2009
Time: 7 p.m.
Audio: Golden Griffin Broadcast Network
Talent: Jay Moran (p-x-p) and Derrick Russell (color)

FAST BREAK POINTS

  • The Canisius College men's basketball team returns to the road tonight to meet the Eastern Michigan Eagles.
  • The Golden Griffins enter tonight's game on a three-game winning streak and are off to their first 3-1 start since the 2002-03 season.
  • The three wins in the month of November are the most for the program since 2000-01.
  • Canisius' 70-54 win over Howard Nov. 28, improved the Griffs to 10-8 when playing home openers in the Koessler Athletic Center.
  • Canisius junior Julius Coles scored a career-high 27 points in the win over Howard, the second time this season and fourth time in his career he's been good for 20-plus points in a game.
  • Coles leads the Griffs in scoring average at 20.3 points per game.
  • Senior guard Frank Turner leads the Griffs with 27 assists and has been credited with seven assist in three of the team's first four games.
  • Turner was credited with five steals against Howard Nov. 28, matching his career high, which he previously set Dec. 2, 2006 against Fairleigh Dickinson.
  • Coles, Turner and Greg Logins have all posted double figures in the scoring column in each of the Blue and Gold's first four contests this year.
  • Junior Tomas Vazquez-Simmons enters tonight's contest with 144 career blocks, one shy of moving into third-place on the school's career blocked shots list.

ABOUT THE EAGLES

  • Eastern Michigan is 4-2 on the season after the team came back to defeat NAIA power Davenport 76-66.
  • The Eagles are led by junior forward Brandon Bowdry, who is averaging 19.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
  • EMU has three players averaging in double figures, with Justin Dobbins (13.4) and Carlos Medlock (12.0) helping lead the Eagles' offense.
  • As a team, Eastern Michigan is averaging 72.7 points per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field.
  • The Eagles are playing their second home game of the season tonight.

CANISIUS - EASTERN MICHIGAN SERIES

  • This marks the second time these two schools have met, and the first since the 2004-05 campaign.
  • Eastern Michigan defeated Canisius 86-72 in the Convocation Center thanks to 25 points by former Eagle forward Markus Austin.
  • The Griffs and the Eagles have never played a game in Buffalo, N.Y.

CANISIUS vs. MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE

  • Canisius is 48-32 all-time against schools from the Mid-American Conference.
  • The Griffs have played more games against Buffalo (42) than any other current member of this conference.
  • The Blue and Gold is 1-0 against MAC schools this year, having defeated Buffalo 73-71 Nov. 24.
  • Canisius is also scheduled to meet MAC member Bowling Green this year in a return of last year's ESPN BracketBuster game.
  • Last season, Canisius was 1-2 against MAC squads, defeating Bowling Green in overtime on the road.