Game No. 30
2011 Spark Energy MAAC Basketball Championship
Canisius (15-14, 9-9 MAAC) vs. Rider (22-9, 13-5 MAAC)
Date: Saturday, March 5, 2011
Time: 10 p.m.
Place: Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard - Bridgeport, Conn..
TV: Golden Griffin Broadcast Network
Talent: Doug Sherman (p-x-p) and Rob Kennedy (color)
Video: ESPN3
Audio: Golden Griffin Broadcast Network
Talent: Jay Moran (p-x-p) and Mike Scott (color)

CANISIUS OPENS TOURNAMENT PLAY AGAINST RIDER

• The Canisius College Golden Griffins start postseason play tonight when the team takes on Rider in the 2011 Spark Energy MAAC Basketball Championship quarterfinal round.
• The Griffs enter this game with a 15-14 overall record and a 9-9 MAAC mark after defeating Loyola 75-58 Feb. 27 on Senior Day in the Koessler Athletic Center.
• Canisius ended the regular season with two-straight wins, while winning five of its last eight and seven of its last 11, dating back to Jan. 23.

FAST BREAK POINTS

• Canisius is the sixth-seed in this year's MAAC Tournament, the first time the Blue and Gold have been the six seed in the conference's postseason event since 1998.
• The Griffs finished the regular season with a 9-9 MAAC record, the first time the team has been .500 or better in conference play since 2000-01.
• The team's 15 wins this year, coupled with the 15 wins last season, makes this the first time since 1995-96 and 1996-97 where the Griffs have won 15 games in back-to-back seasons.
• The Blue and Gold earned a first-round bye by winning two games last weekend - this stands as the program's first bye in the MAAC Tournament since 1999.
• Canisius has one MAAC Tourney win in each of the last six years.
• In the win over Loyola Feb. 27, Canisius overcame an 11-point deficit to post a 75-58 victory. That stands as the largest deficit the Griffs have overcome in a win since Feb. 23, 2008 when the Blue and Gold trailed Albany by 18 before winning 64-60.
• Canisius was credited with 21 assists in the win over Loyola Feb. 27, and the team enters tonight's contest with 39 assists on its last 47 made field goals.
• Senior Greg Logins had a game-high 26 points against Loyola after he knocked down a career-high eight 3-point field goals.
• Senior Elton Frazier became the 32nd player in school history to score 1,000-career points with his baseline jumper at the 19:25 mark of the second half in the win over Loyola.
• Senior Julius Coles is just the fourth player to make 150 career 3-pointers after he drilled one trey in the second half in the team's win over Loyola.

ABOUT THE BRONCS

• Rider enters this year's MAAC Tournament as the third seed after the team went 22-9 overall and 13-5 in MAAC play during the regular season.
• The Broncs have won five straight, with their last loss coming Feb. 11, at home to Canisius.
• Senior guard Justin Robinson, who was named First-Team All-MAAC on Monday, leads Rider with his 15.3 points per game, which ranks fourth in the conference.
• Robinson is the MAAC's leader in free-throw shooting percentage (90.2 percent), while ranking second in 3-point field goals made (2.6 per game), third in 3-point field goal percentage (43.8 percent) and sixth in assists per game with 3.9 per contest.
• Junior Novar Gadson and junior Mike Ringgold were honored as All-MAAC honorees earlier this week. The front court duo is averaging 13.6 and 12.6 points per game, respectively.
• Freshman Danny Stewart was named the MAAC's Rookie of the Year after he averaged 7.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, which ranked fifth-best in the league.
• As a team, the Broncs enter tonight's game ranked second in the MAAC in scoring average and ninth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at 40.5 percent.

CANISIUS - RIDER SERIES

• This will be the 34th all-time meeting between these two schools, with Rider holding a 26-7 all-time lead in the series.
• The Griffs and the Broncs split the regular-season series this year, with each team winning on the road.
• Canisius snapped a 13-game losing streak in Rider's Alumni Gym with its road win Feb. 11.
• Rider holds a 2-1 advantage in the three MAAC Tournament meetings between these schools.