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NU, Canisius set for MAAC attack
Many coaches like to divide the season into three parts — nonconference, conference and postseason.
Canisius and Niagara ring in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference season this weekend with a pair of home games.
The Niagara Purple Eagles head into MAAC play already 1-0 in the conference and 10-3 overall for its best start in 16 years. The squad, however, is still stung a bit by a 99-84 loss to Chattanooga in the championship game of the Dr. Classic Pepper in Tennessee.
“In the short term, I think we’re disappointed about [Tuesday] night,” Niagara coach Joe Mihalich said. “It’s tough to win on the road and we’re disappointed we didn’t get the win. At the same time, we played eight of our last 10 on the road and six in a row on the road and won 10 of our last 13. I think we will look back at the end of the season and be really proud of what we did in non-conference play.”
That difficult road schedule hopefully prepared the Purple Eagles for this weekend’s matchups.
They host Manhattan (7-5, 1-1 MAAC) at 7 p. m. Saturday and Loyola (4-9, 2-0 MAAC) at 7 p. m. Monday.
“Our goal when we made the schedule was to challenge these guys and put them in situations where they would see good teams and be on the road in tough situations,” Mihalich said. “Our guys have really done well and without a doubt that will prepare us for the league. There are no gimmies in the league. It doesn’t matter the opponent you play, in a MAAC game the other team is going to be really prepared. There are no secrets. If you’re not prepared mentally and physically you won’t be successful.”
Canisius has found a formula for success after struggling through a large portion of its non-conference schedule.
The Golden Griffins have won two straight games, which includes using an impressive defensive effort for a 56-43 win over Maine on Tuesday. The 43 points marks the fewest points allowed by the Griffs since Feb. 10, 1997.
At 5-7 overall, Canisius is 0-2 in the MAAC after early losses at Manhattan and St. Peter’s. But playing at home this weekend (against Loyola at 2 p. m. Saturday and Manhattan 7:30 p. m. Monday) might give the Griffs a bit of a comfort level. Canisius has won three straight games in the Koessler Center and four of its last five home games dating back to last season.
Of noteworthy performances, junior Chris Gadley (Amherst) continues to find his footing after sitting out a year for NCAA transfer rules. Gadley, who is averaging 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds turned in a monster performance on the glass in the win at Maine. His 25 rebounds are the most for a Division I player this season and makes him the 12th player in the country to record 20 or more rebounds in a game this year.
Gadley’s performance was the first 20-plus rebound night for a Griff since Darren Fenn had 22 against Manhattan on Jan. 31, 2000 — and that came in a four-overtime win. The last Canisius player to have more than 20 rebounds in a regulation 40 minute game was Ron Peaks with 21 against Seton Hall on Feb. 4, 1978. Larry Fogle holds the program’s single-game mark with 26 rebounds in a 104-61 rout of Catholic on Dec. 8, 1973.
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