Canisius Men’s Basketball Announces Big 4 Rivalry Games

Canisius Men’s Basketball Announces Big 4 Rivalry Games

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The Canisius men's basketball team officially opens the 114th season in program history on Saturday, Nov. 11, when the Golden Griffins travel to play at cross-town rival Buffalo, head coach Reggie Witherspoon announced Monday. Canisius will play a total of four games against its Western New York rivals, with two games on the road and two games at the Koessler Athletic Center.

The season-opener against Buffalo will mark the eighth time the Griffs have started the season against the Bulls, and it will be the first season-opening meeting between the two rivals since 2006-07. Canisius and Buffalo have played 49 times previously, with the Griffs holding a 32-17 lead in the all-time series. Last season, the Griffs scored a 94-87 overtime victory over the Bulls in the Big 4 Basketball Classic at KeyBank Center. The game at Buffalo's Alumni Arena will be Witherspoon's first as head coach of Canisius. The Griffs are 4-7 all-time on UB's home court, having first played the Bulls on campus in the 1996-97 campaign.

On Wednesday, Dec. 6, Canisius will play host to longtime rival St. Bonaventure at the Koessler Athletic Center. That game, which will be broadcast live on ESPN3, will tipoff at 7 p.m. The Griffs and the Bonnies have met 165 times previously, including last season when the Blue and Gold scored a 106-101 overtime win in the Reilly Center. The 2017-18 edition of the rivalry between the two long-time Western New York rivals will be played on the Koessler Athletic Center floor for just the seventh time. Canisius and St. Bonaventure have split that portion of the series, with the Bonnies earning a road win at the KAC during the 2015-16 campaign.

Canisius will play rival Niagara twice during the MAAC regular season, with game dates and times to be announced. The 2017-18 season will mark the first time under the MAAC's new scheduling policy, which features 18 (nine home, nine road) league contests. The MAAC schedule is expected to be announced sometime in August.

The remainder of the Griffs' 2017-18 non-conference slate will be announced in the next few weeks, pending the completion of contracts.

Last season, Canisius went 18-16 overall and 10-10 in MAAC in the first season under Witherspoon. Three Griffs earned All-MAAC honors, including top-returning scorer Jermaine Crumpton and guard Malik Johnson, who ended his rookie season ranked 14th in the nation among all Division I freshmen with 4.4 assists per game.

For information on purchasing or renewing season tickets, contact the Canisius Ticket Office at (716) 888-TIXX, or visit GoGriffs.com.

2017-18 Big 4 Men's Basketball Schedule
Nov. 10    Niagara at St. Bonaventure – 8 p.m.
Nov. 11    Canisius at Buffalo – 2 p.m.
Nov. 29    Buffalo at Niagara - TBA
Dec. 2      St. Bonaventure at Buffalo - TBA
Dec. 6      St. Bonaventure at Canisius – 7 p.m
TBA         Niagara at Canisius – TBA
TBA         Canisius at Niagara - TBA