It will be a contest between two of the nation’s top scoring defenses when the Canisius Golden Griffins (11-16) meet the Fairfield Stags (15-11). The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18 and will air on ES3.
The Golden Griffins are hoping to rebound after their 61-57 loss to Saint Peter’s on Sunday. Kevin Bleeker recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds, earning his second double-double of the year. The Stags, meanwhile, are coming off a 76-73 win over Marist on Monday. Jerry Johnson Jr led the game in scoring by accounting for 25 points on 8-for-11 shooting.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Stags winning the first matchup 84-77. In the victory, Curtis Cobb led all scorers on the team with 25 points.
The Golden Griffins come into this game 11-16 Straight Up (SU) and 9-14-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Canisius is excellent from the perimeter with 237 three-pointers made (8.0 per game), the 30th-most in the country.
Over on the other bench, Fairfield has a SU record of 15-11 and an ATS record of 10-11. The Stags rank 48th in the country in scoring, averaging 78.6 points per game. The Stags rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking 25th in the nation with 240 made (9.0 per game). The Stags are an unselfish team with an average of 16.0 assists per game, ranking 40th in Division I.
Fairfield beat Canisius in their most recent meeting this season, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. However, Fairfield holds the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. Fairfield has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once over the last five matchups. Canisius has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Can, ATS Winner – Can
Notes
Canisius averages 76.8 points per game (ranked 82nd). Fairfield, on the other hand, allows 79.5 points per game (ranked 238th).
Canisius scores 81.2 points per home game (ranked 56th). Fairfield ranks a poor 231st in points allowed on the road, allowing 81.8 points.
In its last game, Fairfield won by a margin of three points. Canisius is 1-2 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. Fairfield has a 2-0 record in close games.
The Fairfield Stags average a field goal percentage of 44.8% this season. The Canisius Golden Griffins have an underachieving record of 5-13 when opponents have a FG% of 44.8% or greater.
The Canisius Golden Griffins and the Fairfield Stags both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Canisius is 288th and 243rd in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Fairfield is 136th and 86th in these categories.
Fairfield ranks 40th in assists, recording 16.0 per game. Canisius performs worse at 112th with 14.4 assists per game.
Canisius ranks 96th in offensive rebounding. Fairfield ranks 101st in defensive rebounding.
Canisius has forced an average turnover percentage of 20.4% this season. Fairfield has a losing 3-6 record when its TO% is 20.4% or higher.
