Sabres Lose Ehroff in yet Another Loss

The nightmare of a season continued Friday night for the Buffalo Sabres. If you thought things couldn’t get any worse, well think again. A 3-1 loss gave the Sabres their fifth consecutive on the road. The road used to be something the Sabres excelled on early in the year going 8-3 in their first 11 road games. Now the Sabres are just starting to show one trend and one trend only, losing hockey games.

In the most recent loss Friday night 3-1 to the Washington Capitals, the Sabres lost key defenseman Christian Ehrhoff in what Lindy Ruff describes is a "lower body injury." Ruff says he expects Ehrhoff to play again this year but there is no definitive timetable for his return and the rumors are "weeks." Ehrhoff was hurt toward the end of the first period of the game.

The game started off and right away it didn’t go the Sabres way. An early penalty on Mike Weber for a hit-from-behind gave the Caps a power play. On the power play Alexander Ovechkin gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead on a fluke goal off of Christian Ehrhoff.

The Sabres might be under performing but they have had everything going against them as well. The Sabres had a total of 1 shot on goal through the first 13 minutes.

To start the second period another Capitals goal accrued to give them a 2-0 lead on a pretty goal by Nick Backstrom. The Sabres started to play better after the goal and managed to finally bury a goal as Jochen Hecht put in his 4^th of the year. That would be all on the board for the Sabres the rest of the night.

Ovechkin sealed the deal with a little over 5 minutes left in the third and the Sabres looked defeated at the buzzer. The team looked helpless. They are giving their all on many occasions and are coming up empty handed.

The New Year is upon us. As rough as it has been in the first half, I think it is safe to say we are at rock bottom Sabre Nation. It can only get better from here on out, or so it seems.

Other News: Derek Roy was finally benched toward the end of the game. Tyler Myers is still not ready to go and may not be ready until after the new year. Ruff said that he is not progressing as fast as they would have liked. T.J. Brennan has been called up from Rochester to take Ehrhoff's spot. Myers, Corey Tropp, Tyler Ennis, and Nathan Gerbe were the only participants in Saturday morning's open skate. Ennis and Gerbe are close to returning and we may see Gerbe tonight.

Recap by: Joey Pezzino

USA Struggling in World Juniors

The United States is struggling in the 2012 World Junior U-21 Tournament held in Alberta, Canada.

The Americans got off to a strong start with an 11-3 win over the Danes, but in their latest game the United States were unable to finish scoring chances and lost to Finland 4-1.

The game got off to a slow start with no scoring in the first period. Finland broke through US backup goalie John Gibson in the 2nd. American coach Dean Blias decided to rest the starting and WJC veteran goalie Jack Campbell in the 2nd game of the tournament.

While keeping your top goalie rested is always a tough task, Campbell is able to handle the workload and in my opinion if he was healthy he should have suited up against the Fins.

Despite the questioning of Blais' decision to start Gibson the game was not decided by the goaltending. Gibson played a solid game despite the score.

The USA were able to control most of the 2nd period after the Fins took the lead. They had many scoring chances and were unable to finish the deal until early in the third period when Brandon Saad was able to hit the back of the net to tie up the game.

However, the game turned with a pivotal goal by Sabres prospect Joel Armia midway through the third. This proved to be the game winning goal for Team Finland.

The star of the game was Armia who scored two for Finland. Armia was drafted in the first round in the 2011 draft by the Sabres and looks to make an impact in the NHL in the coming years.

While the loss hurts the Americans' chances of advancing to the knock out rounds the United States are still in a position to advance or even win the group.

They have games left versus the Czech Republic (Friday at 3:30pm, NHL Net) and versus rival and tournament favorite Canada (Saturday at 8:00pm, NHL Net).

If the Americans are able to win both of those games in regulation the United States will most likely earn a bye into the semi-finals.

If they beat the Czechs they will only need to reach OT versus Canada to assure themselves a spot in the playoff rounds.

Steve Johnson to Command $7.5 Million?

WGR-550 reports that during negotiations Bills leading WR Steve Johnson was asking for $7.5 Million a year on a long term deal. These negotiations ended but are sure to start up again in the coming weeks with the Bills season coming to an end.

The Bills were quick to offer QB Ryan Fitzpatrick a multi-year deal worth over $10 Million a year mid-way through the season after contract talks dissolved with Johnson. Will the Bills be able to lock up another offensive starter before Johnson becomes a free agent on March 13th and is free to sign with any team?

The reported $7.5 Million a year deal is expected to be a four or five season contract that will keep one of the most prolific Bills in Buffalo for another 5 seasons.

Johnson led the Bills in 2010 with 1,073 yards and 10 TD's and is only 36 yards away from being the Bills first ever receiver with back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons. He can accomplish this feat this Sunday at New England.

I believe $7.5 Million/year deal is a fair asking price for a WR with most likely back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons. He seems to be Fitzpatrick's "go to guy" and keeping him as a main part of the offense will help them move on from this season's collapse.

I think he is worth it and the Bills are well below the NFL's Salary Cap so they can afford to fit him in their budget for the 2012 season, but does Buddy Nix agree?

Johnson is only making around $500,000 this year and is due for a large raise, but is $7.5 Million too much to ask? That is the question the Bills need to answer.

Griffs Survive Scare from Binghamton

The inability to put away the Bearcats of Binghamton made it tough on Canisius to get their third win of the season, but 27 points from junior guard Harold Washington was enough to push them over the top.

Binghamton came into this game without a win on the season (0-10). The Bearcats, of the America East conference came into the Koessler Athletic Center looking to change that mark and pick up their first W.

The game started off fast for both teams as each began hot from the floor and Canisius jumped off to an early lead and led by as many as seven but only took a four point lead into the break.

Washington led the Griffs with 12 points at the break while Ben Dickenson had 8 to lead the way for Binghamton.

Canisius started off the second half on a 12-2 run and stretched their lead to as many as 13 but were not able to keep their foot on the gas. Binghamton was constantly able to cut into the lead with a few big shots, however they never led in the second half and Canisius was able to pull away in the end winning 75-66.

The game ended on an ugly note as freshman forward Josiah Heath of Canisius was flagrantly fouled by Ben Dickenson and was sent into the bottom of the basket. Canisius head coach Tom Parrotta immediately came to the aid of Heath who ended up staying in the game and making 1 of the 2 foul shots. Dickenson was ejected. “It was unfortunate, frustration does set in," said Parrotta

Washington was spectacular for the Griffs as he averaged almost a point per minute with 27 points in 29 minutes. “He was quick off the ball” said Binghamton head coach Mark Macon. “He was in his comfort zone; we just couldn’t take him out of it.”

Washington said he found himself “playing to the hand of the defense” in recent games. He said “Even when I’m attacking I don’t need to always score. Me just attacking period creates shots for other teammates.”

Alshwan Hymes added 17 points for the Griffs while Chris Manhertz led the team with 6 rebounds.

Guard Gabby Belardo left the game midway through the second half. Belardo has been plagued with a lower back injury which Parrotta explained is a herniated disc. “He didn’t look right” said Parotta. “He has two or three treatments a day… We got to get with our doctors and figure out what is best for Gabby.” Belardo is a player that Parotta and the team needs in the lineup and without him it will be an even more limited bench. He was a preseason first team all conference player.

Sabres on Bumpy Ride; Fall to Devils

The roller coaster ride continues for the Buffalo Sabres. Win, loss, win, loss. The Buffalo Sabres haven’t won back to back games now since before the Milan Lucic incident. It just always seems like this team is going through motions. They are coming up with chances but besides Thomas Vanek no one is scoring at a consistent pace.

The latest version of the Sabres couldn’t get more than one goal past Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils in a 3-1 loss Wednesday Night.

The Sabres got down 1-0 in the first period and looked out of sync. The Devils were sluggish as well though making it anyone’s game.

The second period started and right away the Devils jumped on the Sabres making it 2-0 with a goal by Petr Sykora (his 2^nd of the night) who is back in the NHL and playing fine hockey.

Before the Devils made it 3-0, Luke Adam deflected a puck into the net. The call on the ice was no goal. On replay it was very hard to tell if the puck was hit in above the crossbar or not, however somehow in Toronto they reviewed the goal as quick as ever and ruled it “no goal.” In the end the Sabres couldn’t worry about it, but the Devils scored again, this time Zach Parise cashed in.

Right when it looked like the Sabres were on their way to another blowout on the road to go with the Columbus and Pittsburgh loss, Eric Boulton delivered a dirty hit to Andrej Sekera along the boards. Cody McCormick jumped right on the Devils forward and a minor brawl broke out. Pat Kaleta and Paul Gaustad were also involved.

Because of the boarding penalty, the Sabres got a power play where Thomas Vanek put one in to give the Sabres a jump and put them on the board. Andrej Sekera however would not return to the game and was out with an upper-body injury.

The Sabres played better until the end of the second but in the third they really never seemed to find their rhythm. Ryan Miller made some nice saves but it wasn't enough to rally his offense.

The Sabres will have a chance to bounce back against the team they beat Monday night in the Washington Capitals. It’s hard to say what is a must win half-way through a year, but at this point, every game needs to be thought of as a must win; That is if the Sabres have any playoff hopes in mind.

Sabres Breakthrough Against Caps

Right from the beginning, the Buffalo Sabres looked like the team we all had hoped they would be. “A fast moving, hard-hitting, quality-goaltending team.”

All four lines were rolling and the puck was finding the back of the net. Goals by Pominville, Ellis, Ehrhoff, and McNabb (1^st career goal) opened a first period to remember. Was this an extra Christmas gift? It pretty much was as the Sabres were able to control the rest of the game. Even though they didn’t score again, there was still a lot of entertaining hockey. A hit by Robyn Regehr on Alexander Ovechkin was something that made me say “good job Darcy.” Something that hasn’t been said very often this year. But that is the kind of play we need out of Regehr and the play he brought to Calgary every night, the player who Ales Hemsky still has nightmares about. There were a few times I could have said that tonight.

How about Zach Kassian working his butt off to get back and make a great play as the Capitals were about to take a shot. Or Drew Stafford moving his feet and going to the net as if there was no tomorrow. It’s those little things that will go a long way for you. Jochen Hecht and Brad Boyes came back and made a difference, each tallying an assist. I felt Brad Boyes skated better than he did all year. Derek Roy was generating offense for himself and his teammates.

I really didn’t understand Lindy Ruff having Roy and Vanek together the last few games. The combination of breaking them up again and putting Boyes with Roy (who I believe is one of the few players who can play with Roy) was successful. Also, the home crowd was really on Ovechkin all night. At one point after all the drama had occurred, a rare “Ovieeee" chant broke out (in taunting form of course). The crowd has been really good two games in a row now and hey what a coincidence, the Sabres won both games. For the second time all year they’ve won two games in a row at home.

Also, this was the 15^th consecutive sell-out. Maybe this team is starting to turn the corner. One thing is for sure, Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff are going to have their hands full with roster decisions pretty soon. Myers is nearing a return. Will they make the easy call and send down McNabb. Or will they make the right move and keep him on this team where it appears he belongs. When Ennis and Gerbe get back, will they make the easy move and bring down Kassian? Or will they make the right move and either make a trade or waive a player (maybe Ellis as he most likely would make it through waivers and to Rochester). And finally when Leino comes back, well yea, you get the point. But anyways it’s a good problem to have and let’s enjoy this win and then Wednesday, let’s hope they get another!

Also of note… The Sabres were good at the face-off dot, winning 31 of 53 face-offs and were 2 for 5 on the power play.

Article written by newest DT Sports member Joey Pezzino

Bills Turn the Clock Back on "Tebow Time"

Coming into the beautiful Christmas Eve day with losses in seven straight games, the Buffalo Bills were determined to stop, or even slow down "Tebow Time."

The game was blacked out locally, but it was on to watch if you made it to the game.

The Broncos looked good in the opening as Tebow ran for a one yard touchdown to get the first points on the board.

The score could have been easily 7-6, but Bills kicker Dave Rayner missed field goals of 45 and 31 yards. Rayner however, would make his next attempt of 28 yards to get Buffalo on the board at 7-3.

After a stop on the next drive, the Broncos were forced to punt. The following play resulted in a 80 yard punt return by Leodis McKelvin which made the score 10-7. The play would be challenged for stepping out of bounds, but not overturned.

As halftime approached, the Bills drove down the field and answered with a four yard run by CJ Spiller to make the score 17-7 at the half. The Broncos first possession was capped off by a 17 yard pass from Tebow to tight end Daniel Fells to make the score 17-14. Rayner, who was at the time 1-3 on the day for field goals answered with back-to-back field goals to make the score 23-14.

When the 4th quarter came around, many fans felt Tebow Time was coming. Following another Rayner kick to make it 26-14 was an interception by Bills rookie corner back Justin Rodgers. Tebow later in the game threw another interception to Bills safety Jairus Byrd, which would be returned to make the score 33-14. On the next Denver possession, Tebow had the ball knocked out of his hands into the air, and recovered by Bills defensive linemen, Spencer Johnson, who also returned it for a touchdown. At this time, Tebow Time was almost a certain not to happen. The rout was officially on and ended with a Bills 40-14 win.

The Bills record now stands at 6-9 while the Broncos are 8-7. Denver no longer controls their own destiny as they will need a win next week and Raiders loss to win the AFC west.

Offense Struggles in Canisius Loss

In a game where the defense of the Canisius Golden Griffins played lock down defense, the offense couldn't much to fall as they were held to only 45 points in their loss to Loyola Thursday night.

Canisius came into the game trying to continue their momentum from their previous win at South Dakota. In that game they put up 90 points but were only to get half of that against Loyola.

The first half was highlighted by poor shooting and strong inside defensive presence. Canisius for most of the half but trailed 20-18 at the break. Forward Chris Manhertz had 8 rebounds in the first half for the Griffs and ended with 13 total for the game. While Canisius was only able to muster 38% from the floor in the first half, they held Loyola to 31%.

Midway through the second half, junior guard Gabby Belardo hit a three to give the Griffs a four point lead at 36-32 but that was quickly answered by a 10-0 run by Loyola. "We couldn't get separation during that time" said head coach Tom Parrotta. "Had we made some shots... we could have had a 6 or 8 point lead at the half... We were getting good shots."

Loyola's defense was very active during this game as they switched defenses quite often but primarily used the 1-3-1 zone. It was tough for Canisius to get the ball inside as they were outscored in the paint 30-20.

Another telling stat was the points off of turnovers. The Griffs turned the ball over 10 times in the first half and finished with 14. They forced 12 turnover but were only able to cash in with 5 points while Loyola created 18 points off of turnovers.

Belardo, along with fellow guard Harold Washington both had 10 points to lead the Griffs. Belardo is still coming off of his back injury and Parrotta said that he was only at about "60 or 65 percent." When I asked Gabby how he felt getting acclimated back into the rotation he told me that whether he plays 10 or 40 minutes he's always going to feel comfortable with his game. "My role has changed right now but whenever coach puts me in the game I'm going to play as hard as I can for as long as I can."

Belardo, early in the second half missed three straight three pointers in a ten second span which seemed to really zap the energy from the team and diminish any possibility of a comeback that they had left.

Ben Averkamp led Loyola with 22 points on 10-18 from the floor. Walt Gibler also added 12 rebounds (6 offensive) for the Ramblers. "Canisius was playing extremely hard, especially with theur guard play," said, head coach Porter Moser. "I was really proud of my guys."

Moser also said of Canisius forward Chris Manhertz, "He's as physical as we've seen this year, and we've played Illinois, Kansas State, and DePaul. He's extremely physical."

The Griffs will play next Wednesday the 28th at the Koessler Athletic Center against Binghamton. They drop to 2-9 on the season and must get their game in shape soon if they expect to compete at a high level in the MAAC.

Daemen Pulls Stunner over #4 Davenport

The Daemen Wildcats picked up a huge home win Saturday night and their first against a top 5 team since 2008, when they beat then second ranked Walsh.

Davenport (MI) held a 34-26 lead at half while shooting 52% from the floor. The game started off with Davenport racing out to a quick 9-0 lead which lead to a Daemen timeout. The Wildcats were able to creep back into the game and eventually answered with their own run to take a 15-14 lead.

After the Panthers were able to up their lead to 11 early in the second, Daemen used a 10-0 run to creep to within one. With just under ten minutes to go, sophomore guard Mark Coppola tipped in a missed shot to give Daemen it's first lead since 17-16 in the first half. Davenport would be able to score the next six points to regain the edge at 55-51.

The two teams went back and forth for the next posessions until Daemen was able to grab the edge with under a minute to go. They increased their lead to as many as four when senior Dom Mazzochi went 1-2 at the line. Davenport quickly answered with a deep three from JaVonte Ford who was sensational in this game scoring 23 points on 8-10 shooting (4-5 from three) and grabbing 9 rebounds. That would be the last points Davenport would score though as their final two heaves in the final ten seconds were off the mark.

"You got to give all the credit in the world to our players" said Daemen head coach Don Silveri. "We did a good job om emphasizing the importance of getting loose balls and taking charges and our players bought into what we were selling as a staff. Us just being mentally and physically though made a big difference in the game tonight."

Sophomore Casey Sheehan lead the team in scoring as he put in 17 points and added 5 rebounds and 6 assists. He used his quickness in the lane to create for himself and his teammates.

Daemen moves to 6-5 on the year and end their two game losing streak. Daemen will play next Wednesday when they host Fisher College to open up conference play.

Griffs Lose in Belardo's Return

The Golden Griffins of Canisius continued their difficult start to the 2011-2012 basketball campaign as they dropped their seventh consecutive game 72-67 to the UMKC Kangaroos.

Freshman Josiah Heath had 14 points and a career high 18 rebounds but it wasn't enough to push Canisius past the Kangaroos and end the losing streak. The Griffs held the lead in the first half by as msny as ten and took a one point lead into the locker room at half (31-30).

UMKC opened up the second half with a 20-5 run and put the game out of reach quickly for Canisius. The Griffs did their best Tim Tebow impression as they were able to cut the deficit down to five with just over two minutes left but weren't able to complete it. Alshwan Hymes hit a three with 21 seconds left to cut it to three but two free throws and a dunk sealed the deal.

Guards Alshwan Hymes and Harold Washington both had 12 points but 38 percent from the floor and 29 percent from three point range wasn't good enough to post the W.

A bright spot for the Griffs; junior guard Gaby Belardo returned from a back injury. He added 10 points off of the bench as he will try and work his way slowly back from injury.

Trinity Hall lead the Kangaroos with a career high 27 points. He also added six assists. Reggie Chamberlin and Kirk Korver also were in double figures with 10 points each.

The loss drops Canisius to 1-8 and will continue their road trip and take on South Dakota Sunday at 3pm. The Griffs hosted SD earlier in the year and fell 67-55. They will try to avenge that loss with Belardo back in the lineup.

Sabres Create Chances but Can't Finish

Marty Biron started in goal for the visiting New York Rangers Saturday night and he stood tall against his former team. He shut down the Sabres as him and his current team picked up it's 2,500th franchise victory.

Carl Hagelin started the scoring in the second period for the Rangers as they were able to pick up their first of two shorthanded goals on the night. Thomas Vanek would answer that goal just over a minute after with a slap shot that beat Marty Biron through the legs.

The Sabres' special teams were poor tonight to say the least as late in the period, Ryan Callahan scored the second of the teams' shorthanded goals to take a 2-1 lead into the last period. That period was under total control of the Rangers as Hagelin and Gaborik added goals to ultimately win the game 4-1.

Buffalo has reason to be upset with this game. "You can't give up two goals when you're on the powerplay and expect to win in this league," said Sabres' defenseman Christian Ehroff. "We had our chances but we just weren't able to convert."

Sabres backup goalie Jhonas Enroth had a tough outing tonight as well. He was beat for all four goals on the glove side. During the start of the season, Enroth was 7-1 with a 1.95 GAA and .935 save percentage but since then has been 1-5-1 with a 3.10 GAA and .905 save percentage.

The home woes continue for Buffalo as this loss drops them to 7-9-2 at First Niagara Center. They will have an opportunity to improve on that Tuesday when they play host to the Ottawa Senators.

McCrea Dominant as Bulls Take Down Youngstown St.

Javon McCrea took his game to a new level Saturday as he and his teammate Mitchell Watt collected double doubles in an 80-72 win over Youngstown State.

The Bulls had one of their best shooting nights of the year as they were 50% from the floor.

UB trailed at half 39-38 but came out of the break energized as McCrea scored the first six points for the Bulls. McCrea ended the night with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Dominant was an understatement to describe his game tonight. The most impressive stat for McCrea on the night was his effectiveness from the floor. He was a remarkable 14-17 from the field.

Bulls forward Mitchell Watt had a solid game as well with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Watt also added four huge blocks to keep the Bulls in front down the stretch.

Kendrick Perry lead the Penguins with 18 points. Blake Allen and Ashen Ward also added 17 each but it wasn't enough to take down the Bulls. The loss drops Youngstown St. to 6-3 (1-1 in Horizon).

The Bulls seem to be playing strong basketball right now as this win ups their win total to six on the year (6-2). They're next game may be the toughest yet as they will travel on the road to take on the Cougars of BYU. (Dec. 20)

St. Francis' Jerry Smith; More than a Football Coach

They say that continuity within a sports program is the key to building a winner and that statement is very true of the Saint Francis High School football program.

Head coach Jerry Smith has been at Saint Francis for over thirty years and during that time has brought much success to the small private boys school located along Lake Erie. Many games have been won, many players have excelled, and many championships have been captured, but that isn't the reason that Smith continues to bring the same passion to work he did thirty years ago.

Jerry Smith is all about the love of the game. Smith, a very humble man, is the first to give credit to his family, players, and coaching staff for any success that him and/or the team has. Smith, while trying to win football games and prep his players for on field success, also strives for achievements off the football field. Throughout his tenure at St. Francis, he has coached tremendous players such as Zack Kedron, Doug Worthington, Ilio DiPalo, and just recently, Akeel Lynch.

During the 2011 season, the Red Raiders finished with an 8-3 record and another Monsignor Martin Athletic Association Championship. The cornerstone and driving force behind this team was star running back Akeel Lynch. Lynch racked up over 2,220 yards and 30 touchdowns. He averaged over 210 yards per game. Lynch did that while missing some time with lingering injuries which makes the accomplishments all that much more impressive. When asked about Lynch's impact on the team, Coach Smith made sure to address his off the field qualities first saying that "he is one of the hardest workers. He is very polite and humble."

Smith then went on to say that on the football field he provides an incredibly powerful force for the team to use. "Opponents always had nine guys in the box. Akeel always had to make someone miss."

The Monsignor Martin League was highlighted by the two stars of the division, Lynch, and St. Joesph quarterback Chad Kelly. Lynch has verbally committed to play at Boston College while Kelly has committed to Clemson. I asked Smith what he thought of both players and how he thought their games would translate at the next level. "All signs point to both of them having outstanding careers." Smith went on to add about Lynch; "I can speak for Akeel as I coached him directly, if he keeps building a champion from the inside out, believe, think, love and work in all aspects of his life, he will have a great career even if he never plays another down of football."

Smith also said that he's one of the best players he's ever coached... that's not a bad compliment I guess either.

Those are strong and powerful words from a man as respected as Smith. I think that this shows the character that not only Smith has, but what he instills on his football teams. In high school, you're consistently gaining and losing players but keeping a team together with a common goal in mind is something that is evident throughout the Red Raiders program. Smith says it is a "privilege" to coach the kids on his football teams.

If you don't know Jerry Smith, I can tell you that his passion goes way beyond football. I had the privilege of knowing him throughout high school during my time at St. Francis. He told me that for the past 30 years he doesn't refer to his job as "going to work" rather he says its "going to school."

Smith points to his family and coaches for his tremendous success over the years. He has a very close relationship with assistant head coach John Scibetta who has been with him for those thirty plus years at St. Francis. He has never been shy to back down from a challenge. Not only off the field but on it as well. Every year, Smith schedules out of state teams who are highly ranked or are very close to it. Smith says that it may be tough to match-up with schools who have thousands of boys to choose from but they can compete, and have done so quite well over the years.

Family is of the most importance to Smith. He says that his wife Cheryl has been supportive of him throughout the time they have been together. "I must say, Cheryl has been a partner like no other. Coaches wives know they are truly special to enable us to do our fun job... That has given me the confidence to know she has my back and allows me the freedom to do what I do for my kids."

Yes, winning football games is important and building programs is great, but leaving last impacts in young boys' lives and making a difference to those you teach, is the real point of Jerry Smith being at Saint Francis. "I am doing what God has intended me to do at the place he wants me at," said Smith. "What better life is there to live while doing what makes you truly happy."

Well said Coach.

Griffs Struggle from the Floor in Loss to South Dakota

The best way to beat a 2-3 zone is to shoot the ball well. That’s exactly what South Dakota (3-5) did to Canisius (1-6) Thursday night as they picked up a road win 67-55 at the Koessler Athletic Center.

Canisius scored the first bucket of the game and held that lead for the first four minutes and twenty seconds. The game was tight throughout the first half as junior guard Harold Washington scored 8 of Canisius’ first 10 points. With both teams in a zone defense, getting the ball inside was a struggle.

South Dakota went on a run after that as they increased their lead to six. After both teams traded buckets for the next few minutes, a one handed baseline slam by Washington and three straight Aslhwan Hymes three pointers got the Griffs to within one at 26-25. That did not last long as South Dakota’s Louie Krogman nailed a long three pointer with 6.0 seconds left to send the Coyotes into the break up four, 29-25.

Krogman, who finished just shy of a triple double with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, hit three triples in the first and finished with five in the game.

The poor shooting of the Griffs continued in the second half as they say South Dakota stretch that four point lead into nine very quickly as they opened the second half with a 7-2 run. “We needed to prevent them from making shots” said Canisius head coach Tom Parrotta. “We weren’t able to do that.”

The Coyotes of South Dakota stretched their lead to as many as 15 before a Canisius run brought that lead down to just six. At this point, the small bench of the Griffs started to take its toll as they were forced to move into man to man defense which caused which caused forwards Chris Manhertz (8 points, 10 rebounds) and Josiah Heath to get into foul trouble.

The great shooting for South Dakota continued after that run as they were easily able to take advantage of the tired Canisius players and stretch their lead back up to 16. A fast break slam by Charlie Westbrook sealed the deal with 40 seconds left.

South Dakota came in shooting only 26% from long distance this year but improved that by shooting over 55% in this game. Krogman said after the game “I wanted to come out aggressive and try and find my shot. I got some open looks and was fortunate enough to knock them down.”

Getting off to good starts like the Coyotes were able to do in this one have not been so easy this season. Head coach Dave Boots said “We’ve had some poor starts… tonight we were able to get off to an ok start.” When asked about what his message was to his team as Canisius started to creep back into the game, Boots said his team was ready. “I told them they got to keep playing and make some defensive plays. I’m proud of our kids for answering.”

“Everything they shot went in unfortunately,” said Parrotta said. “They got momentum from making shots and I think that zapped our energy.”

The Golden Griffins were without standout guard Gabby Belardo. He is sidelined with a lower back injury that has been a problem for him over the past week. Coach Parrotta said that it was a coaching decision for him to sit and rest for not only this game but this upcoming game Saturday against Saint Bonaventure. “He has been to the doctor, acupuncture, chiropractor three times a day… every time we put him in when he’s not ready, it just sets him back a couple of days.” Coach Parrotta does expect Belardo to play after this weekend in Canisius’ next game when the team will travel to South Dakota to take on the Coyotes on their home floor.

Bonnies Lose Tight Road Game to (22) Illinois

Andrew Nicholson's 17 points and 8 rebounds weren't enough Wednesday night as St. Bonaventure fell just short of completing a major upset on the road against a Big Ten contender in Illinois.

The Bonnies hung with Illinois and held the lead in most of the game tonight but were unable to close it out as the Illini closed the game on an 18-4 run to win an ugly offensive game 48-43. Bonaventure was only able to shoot 35% from the field and Illinois only shot 32%. It was a defensive battle to put it nicely.

Illinois was led by Brandon Paul who had 17 points and D.J. Richardson had 11. They were the only two on their team to be in double figures. Illinois was able to overcome the poor shooting and being out-rebounded by ten to pick up a scrappy win.

St. Bonaventure drops to 3-4 while Illinois stays undefeated at 9-0. The Bonnies will try and get back to .500 on Saturday when they host Canisius at 7:00.

Sabres Squander Big Lead; Fall to Flyers

Claude Giroux scored the final goal of this tightly contested game Wednesday night as the visiting Philadelphia Flyers handed the Buffalo Sabres their third loss in four games.

Buffalo jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first period with goals by Villie Leino, Zack Kassian, and Thomas Vanek. Looking to take that lead into the first intermission, but Maxime Talbot scored with 1.5 seconds remaining to wipe that out.

Philadelphia scored three more goals in the second period to bust the game open and take the 4-3 lead. Goals were scored by Matt Read, Scott Hartnell, and Jaromir Jagr.

Late in the third, seconds after goalie Ryan Miller was pulled for the extra attacker, Drew Stafford scored to tie the game at four. The game would then be decided in overtime by Giroux halfway through the extra time after a Sabre turnover lead to a breakaway.

The Flyers were by far the superior team in the second and third periods. They out shot Buffalo 34-24.

The Sabres have been very disappointing at home this year and this performance was pretty similar to what the fans have experienced all year.

Buffalo now sits in 3rd in the Northeast and 7th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 14-11-2. They will try and end this skid and right the ship at home this Friday against the Florida Panthers.

UB Defeats Rival Niagara on the Road

Buffalo used a strong showing from their bench tonight as they were able to pick up a big road win over rival, and MAAC opponent Niagara.

UB was lead by guard Zach Filzen who played 37 of the 40 minutes and had 16 points and 3 assists. He was 4-12 from three point range and perfect from the line. Filzen was helped out by forward Javon McCrea who didn't have the offensive performance he is accustomed to but had a game high 13 rebounds as UB out-rebounded Niagara 45-26.

The Bulls got huge contributions from their bench as they scored 39 of the teams' 82 total points. Titus Robinson and Tony Watson II both lead the team off the bench with each scoring 12 points. They both played quality minutes as well as Robinson played 22 and Watson, 24.

All five Niagara starters were in double figures but that was all the offense the Purple Eagles got. They struggled from the field as they only shot 35.3% from the field. Marvin Jordan and Juan'ya Green both had 16 to lead their team in scoring.

The win gets UB back on track and improves their record to 5-2 while Niagara falls to a dismal 3-6. Buffalo's next game is this Saturday when they take on Youngstown State at Alumni Arena.

Other UB preformers: Mitchell Watt 10/7/3, Jarod Oldham 6/2/1, Auraum Nuiriankh 5/6/1, Dave Barnett 9/4/2, Corey Raley-Ross 2/0/0, Xavier Ford 4/1/0

(3) Syracuse uses Depth to Take Down (9) Florida

The third ranked Syracuse Orange used 16 points from Scoop Jardine and a strong performance from sophomore Fab Melo to knock off the Florida Gators at home 72-68.

It didn't take long after the game for Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim to face questions regarding the Bernie Fine allegations. Before taking questions, he did issue an apology for his comments directed towards the accusers last week saying that "It was insensitive for the individuals involved and especially to the overall issue of child abuse."

During the game, The Orange were in a battle with the ninth ranked Gators where large runs by both teams, swung the momentum numerous times.

Early in the second half, Syracuse was up 39-30 but saw that vanish quickly as multiple three point shots in a row by Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker. It wasn't long after, that seniors Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine took over.

Joseph had 14 points but more importantly four big offensive rebounds. Jardine had many big layups and assists during the final ten minutes but none bigger than his three point dagger with 3:56 left which all about sealed the game.

Syracuse now improves to 8-0 while Florida suffers their second loss of the season dropping to 5-2.

Jim Boeheim and the rest of the basketball program will continue to be questioned during this ongoing investigation but the players can limit the distractions by just simply keep winning.

STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Kris Joseph, F	36	5-14	1-5	3-4	4	5	1	2	0	2	0	14
Rakeem Christmas, F	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fab Melo, C	26	4-5	0-0	1-2	3	5	0	1	1	1	2	9
Scoop Jardine, G	31	6-10	1-3	3-5	1	4	7	4	1	4	1	16
Brandon Triche, G	35	5-13	1-4	9-9	0	0	3	1	1	2	4	20
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
James Southerland, F	11	0-3	0-3	0-0	1	3	0	1	1	1	1	0
Dion Waiters, G	14	1-8	0-1	0-0	0	2	1	0	0	1	0	2
C.J. Fair, F	31	4-10	0-1	1-1	4	11	1	1	0	2	1	9
Baye Moussa Keita, C	14	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	4	0	0	0	1	3	2
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
		26-64	3-17	17-21	14	34	13	10	4	14	12	72

Pregame Notes from the FN Center; 12/02/2011

The Buffalo Sabres will take on the Detroit Red Wings tonight at 7:30 at First Niagara Center. Here are some quick notes from the pregame skate this morning at 10:00.

Forwards skating: V. Leino, N. Gerbe, Z. Kassian, C. McCormick, M. Ellis, J. Pominville, L. Adam, D. Stafford

Defenseman skating: A. Sekera, M. Gragnani, J. Finley, B. McNabb, M. Weber

Goalies skating: R. Miller, J. Enroth

Not skating: T. Myers*, C. Ehroff, J. Leopold, R. Regehr, T. Vanek, J. Hecht*, P. Kaleta*, D. Roy, T. Ennis*

Observations & notes:
- Joe Finley and Brayden McNabb were on ice for extra time getting work in between the two.
- Nathan Gerbe, Zack Kassian, Drew Stafford and Matt Ellis took extra shots against Ryan Miller.
- Cody McCormick and Mike Weber (both IR) took part in skating drills at center ice with assistant coaches after skate
- Ryan Miller, Mike Weber, Cody McCormick, and Matt Ellis were last to leave the ice.

*suspected injury related