The Week Ahead : 1/29-2/4

Another new segment to Downtown Sports! In this part I will be giving everyone a look ahead at the games on tap for all area teams.

Make sure you check back for updates, reviews, recaps, and interviews.

Hockey:

Buffalo Sabres
Tuesday Jan 31st: @ Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm (MSG)
Wednesday Feb 1st: New York Rangers 7:30pm (NBCSN)
Saturday Feb 4th: @ New York Islanders 7:00pm (MSG)

Men's Basketball:

Saint Bonaventure Bonnies
Wednesday Feb 1st: @ St. Louis 8:00pm

Syracuse Orange
Saturday Feb 4th: @ St. John's 12:00pm

Buffalo Bulls
Wednesday Feb 1st: Ball State 7:00pm
Saturday Feb 4th" @ Toledo 7:00pm

Niagara Purple Eagles
Friday Feb 3rd: @ Fairfield 7:30pm

Canisius Golden Griffins
Thursday Feb 2nd: @ Iona 7:00pm
Saturday Feb 4th: @ Marist 7:00pm

Sabres Return to Action Tonight vs. Canadiens

The much needed break for the Sabres is over and it is time to start playing competitive hockey again.

Buffalo will take to the ice tonight in Montreal against the Canadiens after the all-star break this past weekend.

The team currently sits in 14th place in the eastern conference with 45 points. They did win their last game before the break in a shootout, 2-1 against the New Jersey Devils in a game that saw the Sabres only get 14 shots on net.

That is the only thing positive the Sabres have going for them right now as they have lost 16 of their last 21 games and have been outscored nearly three to one on the road since back in mid-December. They will wrap up their current road trip tonight and head home to play host to the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

Buffalo did receive a bit of good news as head coach Lindy Ruff said on WGR 550 radio this morning with Howard Simon that Tyler Ennis will play tonight and Brayden McNabb passed his concussion test and is now day-to-day.

The Sabres currently sit ten points away from the final playoff spot and will need a run similar to last year which included wins in 16 of their last 24 games, and some help to make it to the postseason this year.

Greyhounds too much for Griffs to Handle

The Loyola (MD) Greyhounds came into the Koessler Athletic Center Sunday afternoon in a tie for first in the MAAC and left with a half game lead.

The Griffs continued their awful shooting as they were only able to convert on 22 of 54 shots (40.7%).

Canisius started the game with the lead and led by as many as 7 but saw that dwindle down as the poor shooting started to kick in. The Griffs were held scoreless for the final 8:02 of the first half and saw their once seven point lead turn into a six point deficit. Loyola was able to close the half on a 12-0 run.

For a stretch of 12:04 Canisius was only able to score two points and allowed a 24-2 Greyhound run. During this run, the Griffs looked frustrated and visibly so. The poor shooting seemed to wear on them.

Shane Walker was a force on the floor for Loyola as he scored 17 to lead all scorers. He also had 11 rebounds and 5 blocks. The glass was controlled by Loyola all day and especially in the second half as they were able to out-rebound the blue and gold 43-27 and 22-14 on the offensive glass. "It's frustrating for the fellas I know, because they give such an effort defensively that is" said Tom Parrotta. "When we had really good possessions defensively, the shot was up and the rebound was up in the air, they're just bigger and more athletic than us and they came down with it and they make you pay. That's absolutely demoralizing for a defensive possession."

Loyola had four players in double figures as Walker had 17, Robert Olson had 13, Erik Etherly had 15, and Justin Drummond had 14 off the bench.

Cansius once again started four guards as Franklin Milian received his second career start and he did take advantage of it. In 25 minutes he had 7 points and 4 rebounds. The guards for the Griffs shot the ball very poorly as Harold Washington, Alshwan Hymes, and Gaby Belardo combined to go 11-38 from the floor including 4-16 from beyond the arch.

"I can't fault the effort outside 30 minutes" "The first half is not the issue" said Parrotta. "It certainly starts to wain in the second half and deep into the second half."

Canisius obviously is not having the season they would have liked but it shouldn't come as a complete shock. The lack of depth is something that everyone always talks about and Parrotta honestly addressed that issue today. "We knew one hundred percent that depth was going to be an issue because I have three guys I chose to do it this year to bring in next year... (Others) are getting so much experience."

Parrotta is obviously speaking of the three transfer players that have to sit out this year due to NCAA eligibility rules. Freddy Asprilla is a 6-10 senior from Kansas State. Isaac Sosa is a 6-3 senior as well from Central Florida; and Jordan Heath, brother of freshman center Josiah Heath is a 6-10 junior from NAIA Roberts Wesleyan. "We could have brought in three more players that would have helped with depth, but not the level of player that is sitting out; But we don't fold up the season and just look forward to next year."

Play-Action Sports: January 28th 2012

Here is a new segment to Downtown Sports. In this section I will be having multiple recaps and scores from nights when multiple teams in the area play.

Men's Basketball:

Buffalo 74 Northern Illinois 59: The UB men (12-6, 5-2) picked up their 4th straight win Saturday night by taking care of business on the road against Illinois 74-59. Javon McCrea had a double-double for the Bulls with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Zach Filzen had 12 and Mitchell Watt also added 10 in a collective effort. Ten different Bulls scored in the game as they were able to close to within a half-game of conference leading Akron.

St. Bonaventure 62 Richmond 47: Andrew Nicholson 14 points (6-7 FG) and 8 rebounds for St. Bomaventure as they were able to stay in first place in the Atlantic 10 with a 62-47 home win against the Spiders of Richmond. They improved to 12-7 and 5-2 in conference play. The Bonnies out rebounded Richmond 39-23 and had four players total in double figures.

Griffs Can't Survive Poor Shooting in Loss to Jaspers

Canisius found themselves with a rare halftime lead Friday night against the visiting Manhattan Jaspers but were unable to close the deal as a dismal second half shooting performance dropped the Griffs to 4-16 (1-9) on the year.

Canisius, who usually shoots under 40% per game was at 41% from the floor which included 46% from beyond the arch in the first half. They took a 35-33 lead into the break as they lead by as many 9 in the half.

They maintained that lead early in the second half but a 10-0 Manhattan run opened the flood gates as the Japsers gained and never relinquished the lead. Their 10-0 run bumped them into the lead by 8, 47-39 and they lead by as many as 16.

Canisius finished the game shooting just 35.5% in the second half and 12.5% from downtown. Gaby Belardo lead the way for Canisius with 18 but was just 6-15 from the floor. Harold Washington and Alshwan Hymes both had 16 but combined to go 11-31 (35.5%) from the floor. Washington also turned the ball over 7 times.

Manhattan was lead by standout guard George Beamon who was 14-24 shooting on the night for 33 points. He also added 8 rebounds and 2 assists. After the game, his coach called him the best player in the MAAC. "He takes coaching so well. I was on him. He came out and he responded (in the second half)." Steve Masiallo said. "This league is very good, there is a lot of great players. There are players that are terrific in this league. What he means to us is more than any other player means to their team... There is no one even close."

Beamon, although scoring 33 points wants to continue to get better heading down the final stretch of the season and into the conference tournament. "I'm just trying to play. My teammates found me out there. It's a collective effort."

Manhattan doubled up the Griffs in the paint as they scored 36 points compared to Canisius' 18. "Our mentality every game is to go inside and take you off the bounce and throw it into our big's" said Masiallo.

The Griffs were only able to generate 4 points from the forwards in the contest, all coming from Chris Manhertz who added just 4 rebounds, down from his average of 7.4.

"We went small tonight. We really wanted to keep Manhattan off balance tonight" said Canisius coach Tom Parrotta. "We had some careless turnovers. We have to continue to grind it out and knock down shots when they present themselves."

Game notes: Guard Reggie Groves will be away from the team "for a while" as he will spend time on "academics" says coach Parrotta. Groves is eligible butParrotta feels that Groves needs to "nip a small problem before it turns into a big one."... Canisius started four guards today as Franklin Milian got his first career start. He had 3 points and 9 rebounds in 30 minutes... David Santiago had 9 points off the bench on 4-4 shooting in 18 minutes... Canisius has now lost 4 straight and will host Loyola (MD) Sunday at 2:15... Manhattan has now won 6 straight and will travel to Niagara on Sunday at 4:00.

Playoff run for the Sabres?

With the Sabres victory over the Devils Tuesday night, the Sabres are tied for 13th in the Eastern Conference.

The All Star Break starts today, so the team will not play again until February 1st, against the New York Rangers at the First Niagara Center.

The Sabres have 33 games remaining until the playoffs begin, and they need a lot of help. There are many key division match-ups remaining which include four games against the Bruins (1 Home, 3 Road), two games against the Maple Leafs (0 Home, 2 Away), three home stints with the Canadians.

Their longest home stand is 4 games which will happen twice in February.(Feb 8th- Bruins, Feb 10th-Stars, Feb 11th-Lightning, and Feb 14th-Devils) (Feb-17th- Canadians, Feb 19th- Penguins, 21st- Islanders, Feb 24th- Bruins).

Their longest road trip is four games as well with all of them taking place on the west coast. (Feb 29th- Ducks, Mar 1st- Sharks, Mar 3rd- Canucks, and Mar 4th- Jets).

Five times the Sabres will play back to back games (Feb 10 & 11th Stars and Lightning, Feb 16 & 17th Flyers and Canadiens, Feb 29th & Mar 1st Ducks and Sharks, Mar 7 & 8th Hurricanes and Bruins, and 30 & 31st Penguins and Maple Leafs).

The Sabres are 10 points out of the 8th and final spot for the Eastern Conference playoffs. They have a lot of ground to make up, and they need a lot of help. They will need a run similar to last years' and some luck to find it into the top six.

Bulls Move into Second in MAC East

The men's basketball team at the University of Buffalo are starting to peak at the right time as they currently sit in second place in the MAC East standings, one game behind defending champion Akron.

They improved their record to 11-6 (4-2) yesterday by defeating Eastern Michigan (9-11, 4-2) 65-47 inside Alumni Arena.

The Eagles are known for their slow offensive pace but the Bulls were able to hold them to under 50 points and 34% from the floor. The Bulls on the other hand shot 46% from the field as well as 43% from three point range.

Javon McCrea led the way for the Bulls with 17 points but not far behind him was Zach Filzen and Mitchell Watt with 16 and 14 points respectively. Filzen was 5-10 from beyond the arch and Watt added 9 rebounds to his point total.

The Bulls only held a one point lead 24-23 at the midway point but were able to pull away from the Eagles in the second half, out-scoring them 41-24.

The team now will play a string of five games against MAC West teams, the much weaker of the two divisions and will then play their final five against the East.

"Buffalo Sabres have a HUGE monkey lifted off their backs"

1/24/12, Buffalo Sabres @ New Jersey Devils, Game 49

A couple of weeks ago I was starting to wonder if the Sabres would be able to make the playoffs this season. Then it turned into, would the Sabres be able to win another game this season? Well thankfully we got the win out of the way. The Buffalo Sabres defeated the New Jersey 2-1 in a shootout in Newark at the Prudential Center.

It wasn’t the most entertaining game of the year as the Sabres only managed to get 14 shots through 3 periods and overtime.

However, the Sabres defensive game was much improved. Of course that starts with the play of the Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller. Miller made numerous clutch saves throughout the game, including some big saves in overtime which allowed the Sabres a chance to win their first away game since December 3rd against Nashville (when the Sabres had 14 shots as well that game).

Miller seemed to be calm the entire game and didn’t over-commit to shooters which had been a noticeable problem in previous games. Getting Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehrhoff back helped of course as the Sabres are almost entirely healthy on the back-end now with the exception of McNabb.

Also another observation I made was the back-checking of the forwards on the Sabres. Every player was back-checking and numerous times players were stopping odd man rushes because of their hard work.

The Sabres got a huge break late in the first period when Jordan Leopold found the back of the net on a very mysterious bounce off the boards near the Devils net. The Sabres actually have a good record when scoring first and when leading after one. The Devils tied it up (Elias) in the second after getting a few tries on the power play and after taking much of the momentum.

The third period only saw 10 shots total for both teams. The game was destined for extra time. In overtime Ryan Miller came up big. The Sabres had their fair share of chances as well. A shootout was what it was going to take to decide a winner. Ilya Kovalchuk was the first shooter of the shootout and gave the Devils the advantage by scoring.

Thomas Vanek couldn’t score, Zach Parise couldn’t score, Brad Boyes couldn’t score, Patrick Elias couldn’t end it, and it came down to the Sabres captain. A captain is supposed to be clutch and Jason Pominville was exactly that.

Adam Henrique went next and didn’t score and then it was Nathan Gerbe for the Buffalo Sabres. Gerbe came in, scored, and lifted a huge monkey off the back of the Sabres. Can the Sabres build off this win? With so many games left to play, anything is possible.

Also: The Numerical line of Leino, Boyes, and Stafford were very good. They will need to start producing though in order to be considered a success.

Cuse' Without Melo, Jones

The Orange of Syracuse University currently sit at 20-0, a school record, and number one in the polls but will be without star center Fab Melo and forward Mookie Jones.

ESPN is reporting that Melo did not travel with the team on their two game road trip due to an unresolved academic issue from the fall semester. The team, along with the school hopes the issue can be resolved by Tuesday when they return to campus but the Orange will be without their starting center for at least the next two games.

Melo is averaging 7.2 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 3 blocks per game which ranks him third in the nation. Melo is coming off a 10 point preformace Monday against Pittsburgh where he posted a career high in rebounds (10).

Junior forward Mookie Jones has left the school due to "personal reasons." The reasons for the leave are unclear as the school is citing school policy and federal student privacy laws.

Sabres Struggles

Before the season we all thought that the Sabres finally had a chance to go all the way, a legit team put together well and everything, we now know this was not the case at all.

While injuries undoubtedly hurt the Sabres with Miller, Ennis, Roy, Ehrhoff, Leino, Myers, Gerbe and others missing significant time but there is a lot more to it.

Most Sabres haters have said for years that they have no "heart" or a winning drive, while I believe this is not totally the case; nobody gets to the NHL with no "heart"; but there are problems with their effort I feel like they are just content with the situation.

Any other coach would have been fired already but Ruff has proven to be an above average NHL coach and is a perfect fit in Buffalo. I do not believe they should fire him just to make a statement that these losing ways are not accepted. There are other ways to accomplish that.

That said, if this continues the rest of the season you have to seriously think about firing the winningest coach in team history and in the longest tenured in the NHL today.

The Sabres look to get out of this funk tonight in St. Louis against Blues starting goalie Jaroslav Halak who is 10-0-3 in his last 13 starts. If those stats prove anything it does not look good for the Sabres to end the 11 game road skid tonight.

Niagara Captures Rivalry Win Over Canisius

Most of the time, freshmen and sophomores are unfamiliar with big time rivalries and shy away from the spotlight. That was not the case in the latest version of the Canisius-Niagara rivalry as the Purple Eagles’ underclassmen came up huge in a Niagara 75-56 win.

The intensity was hot, the crowd packed, and the teams were fired up when the ball tipped at the Koessler Athletic Center and the game started off like Canisius fans didn’t even expect.

Gabby Belardo hit two deep threes in the first three minutes and ten points in the first 3:24 seconds of the game. You could see the emotion pour out of the face of Belardo as he let out multiple fist pumps and shouts as his buckets led to a Joe Mihalich timeout.

At that time, Canisius held a 10-2 advantage and was looking to keep up the pace and energy. However Niagara was able to creep their way back into the game when at 11:58 in the first half, they took their first lead at 17-15.

Midway through the half, Niagara was 6-8 (75%) from beyond the arc which helped them go up by as many as 16. Canisius went over six minutes in the half without a bucket as Niagara continued to stretch their lead. The Griffs were able to close that margin by scoring the final six points of the half to trail 37-27.

Unfortunately for the Griffs, Niagara came out firing to start the second half as they scored a quick six points in the first minute and a half which yielded a Tom Parrotta timeout. Once again, like in the first half, Niagara was able to stretch their lead to a large margin; this time it was 19.

Like the first half, the Golden Griffins were able to overcome poor shooting and get back in the game. Their comeback got them as close as five points but the comeback didn’t have enough fuel as the Purple Eagles were able to pull away and win comfortably 75-56.

“We’re a team trying to score some points” said Canisius head coach Tom Parrotta “It’s very frustrating.”

The Griffs are currently 243^rd in the country at just under 65 points per game and are 289^th in field goal percentage at 40.7%. Shooting has been the Achilles heel for this team all season. Parrotta has consistently talked about his team missing shots and opponents making which zaps all the energy out of his squad.

Belardo opened up hot but after the first few minutes but only ended with 13 (3 in the final 37 minutes). I asked Gabby about the hot shooting in the first half for Niagara’s guard. “They had 2, 3, 4 guys and it was really hard to stop.”

Alshwan Hymes lead his team with 20 points. Third leading scorer in the MAAC Harold Washington was held to just 2-10 from the floor for only 6 points.

A bright spot for Canisius was Chris Manhertz’ play not only on the boards but his offense as well. Manhertz was very effective for the Griffs tonight as he put in 13 points and snagged 15 rebounds (9 offensive).

Niagara came into this game led by underclassmen and they did not disappoint. Freshman Juan’ya Green came into the game leading the nation in freshman scoring. Even though he only put in 6 points in the win, he had 11 assists which was a career high. “I think the team is playing better when I’m in the distributor role” Green said. “I like to get my team going before I get going.”

Antoine Mason led the team with 22 points and Marvin Jordan came in off the bench and had 16 points while hitting five three pointers.

“We played about 33 minutes of pretty good defense and pretty good basketball” Joe Mihliach said of his teams’ performance. “We’re playing some good basketball which is important because it’s only going to get tougher down the stretch.”

Canisius falls to 4-14 (1-7 MAAC) with this loss while Niagara creeps closer back to .500 at 9-11 (4-4 MAAC). The Griffs do not have long to worry about this loss as they will travel on the road to take on Rider.

Photo from Niagara Athletics

Tale of Two Halfs as Griffs fall to St. Peter's

Canisius came into today’s contest with the Peacocks of Saint Peter’s College looking to gain their first two game winning streak of the season but were unable to do so suffering a 74-60 defeat.

Harold Washington led the way for the Griffs with 19 but it wasn’t enough as a strong second half led St. Peter’s to victory. Washington struggled from the field going 3-18 but hitting 12-16 from the line. “Early on coach just told me to be aggressive because lately I’ve found it very easy get to the cup” said Washington.

The game was headlined by many big scoring runs by both teams. Canisius opened the game with the scoring taking leads of 2-0 and 4-2 but one of many Peacock runs left the Griffs trailing 12-5. The Griffs then used a 10-1 run of their own to take a 15-13 lead. Once again, another Peacock run, this time of 10-0, allowed them to gain the edge once again, 23-15.

Both teams traded baskets throughout the remaining stages of the first half until Canisius was able to close the half scoring the final 10 points to lead 31-25.

Washington had 10 in the first half for Canisius while Gabby Belardo had 8. The Griffs were able to hold a 6 point lead while shooting 7 fewer shots than St Peters. They were 10-20 (50%) from the floor and 2-4 from three point range.

In the second half, the Peacocks were able to light it up from deep as they were able to hit four triples in the first four minutes of play to zap all the energy that the Griffs brought out of the locker room. After those shots, Tom Parrotta’s squad didn’t look nor play the same.

St Peters outscored the Griffs 49-29 in the second half after Canisius held their opponents to just 25 in the first half. “When can you can’t make a bucket and there making shots, that’s were separation happens” said coach Parrotta.

Alshwan Hymes had 14 and Gabby Belardo 10 for Canisius. Chris Manhertz was consistently in foul trouble as he only had 6 rebounds and 3 points.

Parrotta addressed his two main players’ injuries after the game and said that guard Reggie Groves has severe arthritis in his knee which limits him in cutting and using his leg to the fullest. It takes him a while to get going. He also said that Gabby Belardo unfortunately will have to play the season with how his back is now and while it can’t get any worse than what it is right now, it will be discomfort.

Canisius will play their rival this Thursday, Niagara at the Koessler Athletic Center at 8:30 pm. It is a girls and guys double header with the women tipping at 6:00 pm.

Tebow Continuing to Prove Doubters Wrong

Tim Tebow can silence just about all of his doubters if he hasn't already with a win tonight against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

After replacing Kyle Orton in week 5 of this years' campaign, Tebow has thrown for 12 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions. He has ran for another 6 touchdowns along with 660 yards. That math equates to 18 total touchdowns in 12+ regular season games.

Those numbers don't look too great but it equates to a 3-1 touchdown to interception ratio which will most of the time get a team a win in the NFL. He went 7-4 in the regular season as a starter which was good enough to take a 1-4 lead Kyle Orton team to an 8-8 record and a AFC West division title.

Those accomplishments in only his second year in the league are overshadowed by arguments degrading his throwing motion or his drop backs or some other useless argument that is made to take credit away from such great achievements.

Now, a week after throwing for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns (another one rushing), Tebow has a chance to backup his overtime wildcard weekend win over the Steelers.

The Broncos faced the Patriots in week 15, a game in which the Patriots came out on top 41-23. Some called that game Tebow's best of the season with the improvements he made in the passing game. ESPN's Trent Dilfer was one of those people who thought that.

There have been many people that have discredited Tebow's performances. Let's explore who has made those comments and why they should probably start to eat their words.

Terrell Suggs, linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens said on ESPN's "First Take" that he may be able to play quarterback that Tim Tebow. Stephen A. Smith, who constantly has not been a believer in Tebow's "quarterbacking skills" said that he has seen "nothing that would make 'me' believe that this boy [Tim Tebow] is remotely a starting quarterback in this league." Mark Schlereth said on "First Take" that "he lacks passing skills to be an elite quarterback in the NFL."

Many more have said these things for and against Tim Tebow. He may not do everything the way it is "supposed" to be done but why does he? Why does he have to throw like every other quarterback in the NFL? Why do his drop backs have to be preformed in the same manner as everybody else? Why does he have to look great during practice? Why does he have a limit on how many times he can run the ball? Why can't his coaches let him throw on first down?

The reality is, is that there is not a right way to play quarterback in the NFL but rather there are things that can be done to help a quarterback succeed at the highest level. Most successful quarterbacks have chosen those ways and been rewarded but Tim Tebow does things his way and he does things for the betterment of the team. If that means completing two passes in a game then he will. If it means running 22 times in a game, he will.

"Tebow Time" is upon us ladies and gentlemen and like it or not, it will be here to stay.

Canisius Picks up First Conference Win

On a stormy and blistery day in cold Buffalo, New York, the Golden Griffins of Canisius College put their talents on display and picked up their first conference win of the season, defeating the Marist Red Foxes 67-57 at the Koessler Center.

Canisius was lead by strong offensive performances from guards Gabby Belardo and Alshwan Hymes who had very similar nights.

Belardo and Hymes both scored 18 points with 4 rebounds, going 4-9 from beyond the arch. The mere difference was Belardo shooting 7-14 from the floor while Hymes took one less shot and went 7-13.

The game started off hot for the Griffs as they scored the first five points of the game but that was quickly answered by an 11-0 Marist run. Canisius didn't let that Marist lead stay on the board long as they used a run of their own to regain the lead at 15-13, and 24-17.

They stretched that lead to as many as 14 and took a 12 point, 35-23 lead into halftime.

The Golden Griffins did not let up to start the half as they kept their foot on the gas and cruised to a 67-57 win but it was never really that close.

Chris Manhertz was a dominant force on the glass tonight, especially on the offensive side for the Griffs. He racked up 15 rebounds, 8 of which were offensive boards. The conference's third leading scorer, Harold Washington, didn't have his best scoring night but he did total 8 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. Kevin Bleeker added 10 points and 8 rebounds off of the bench for Canisius.

Marist was lead by Anell Alexis, Isaiah Morton, and Chavaughn Lewis, all of which had 11 points.

With the win, the Griffs improve to 4-12 (1-5 MAAC) and will look to gain their first winning streak of the year when they host Saint Peters, Sunday at 2:00pm.

Canisius looks to Right Ship Tonight against Marist

It hasn't been easy for coach Tom Parrotta's squad thus far in the 2011-2012 campaign but coming up on a 3 game home stand, the Griffs can begin to turn it around.

Tonight, Marist will head into the Koessler Center for a 7:00pm tip-off against the Golden Griffins. Marist currently sits at 7-9 and 2-3 in the MAAC. Canisius is coming off a 3 game road stint where the were winless and dropped to 3-12 overall with an 0-5 conference record.

Their latest loss came at the hands of Loyola (MD.) 77-62 back on January 7th.

The one thing Canisius does have on their side is history. They have 5 of the previous 6 games at the Koessler Center against Marist.

Junior guard Harold Washington leads the team in scoring at 18.2 points per game. That is also good for third in the conference and 47th in the nation.

Chris Manhertz comes into the contest averaging just under 9 rebounds a game at 8.6 and 8 points. Alshwan Hymes is the only Griff in averaging double figures with 14.4 ppg.

Gabby Belardo has played the last few games for the Griffs, putting in over 30 minutes. He has been dealing with a nagging lower back injury throughout the entire season.

Due to poor weather, I will not be at press row to tweet live throughout but will be watching online and will be tweeting updates periodically. Follow on twitter @J_Snyder613

UB Men Tourney Bound?

For the first time in years the Bulls have made Joe Lunardi's column on ESPN.com "Bracketology".

The weekly feature predicts the possible "March Madness" bracket we all know so well. Lunardi is known to be very accurate with his final bracket but this week's edition is nowhere near that.

There are still 2 full months of regular season play to go as well as the all important MAC Tournament for the Bulls.

All this prediction seems to mean is that Lunardi believes that UB could be the favorite going into the tournament in Cleveland, Ohio. The MAC Champion gets an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

UB has come very close to clinching their first ever NCAA Tournament bid a few times. The Bulls have lost in the MAC Championship game twice, 2005 and 2009.

The 2005 game was a heartbreaking loss to Ohio on a buzzer beating tip in at the end of overtime. The 2009 game was a lot more one-sided as Akron beat the favored Bulls by 12.

What UB really needs to aim for right now is a top 4 seed in MAC Regular Season play, which will earn them the right to a bye into the quarterfinals of the tournament.

UB will not have any easy road to this coveted bye. The MAC East, where UB plays is much tougher than the MAC West this year.

Akron, UB, Ohio, Kent State & Bowling Green are all potential MAC East winners and will be fighting for the 4 byes along with Ball State and Toledo from the West along with others.

While this prediction really has no true worth it is nice to look ahead and see what could be in March.

NFL Wild Card Predictions

The NFL Playoffs are finally here. Today's games are on NBC as the surprising Wild Card winning Cincinnati Bengals travel to Houston to take on the Texans, who are a first time AFC South Champion. They are making their postseason debut at 4:30 PM.

Later in the day, another "Cinderella" Wild Card team, the Detroit Lions travel down south to take on the NFC South division winner, New Orleans at 8 PM.

Tomorrow's games will feature the Atlanta Falcons, as they battle with the NFC East division winners, the New York "Football" Giants. The game will take place in Met-Life Stadium at the Meadow-lands at 1 PM on FOX.

Later at 4:30 on CBS, the Steelers travel to the Rocky Mountains, as they try and stop "Tebow Time" against the AFC West division winner, the Denver Broncos.

Tony, Johnathan, and Kevin will make their picks for today's and tomorrows games below.

Tony

Bengals vs Texans: Bengals

Lions vs Saints: Lions
Falcons vs Giants: Falcons
Steelers vs. Broncos: Broncos

Johnathan
Bengals vs Texans: Texans
Lions vs Saints: Saints
Falcons vs Giants: Giants
Steelers vs Broncos: Broncos

Kevin
Bengals vs Texans: Texans
Lions vs Saints: Saints
Falcons vs Giants: Giants
Steelers vs Broncos: Steelers

Canisius Remains Winless in the MAAC

The Canisius Golden Griffins finished their three game MAAC road trip with their third loss in as many games after a 77-62 defeat to Loyola (MD) Saturday afternoon.

The Griffs shot the ball better from the field in this game (43%) but it still wasn't good enough to beat a strong Loyola team.

Loyola led the half 37-24 and the Griffs once again were held under 30 points at the half. something becoming all to familiar to coach Tom Parrotta.

Canisius was able to close the gap to four with 10:14 left in the second half but then weren't able to sustain the momentum that took them on a 21-10 run.

Dylon Cormier led the way for Loyola with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Robert Olson also added 16 points for the Greyhounds.

The difference in the game was rebounds as Canisius was outworked on the boards 37-22. Loyola grabbed 13 offensive rebounds as well. The Griffs were only able to handle 6.

Chris Manhertz and Harold Washington both had 15 points to lead the team while Gaby Belardo had 14 points to go along with 7 assists. Manhertz also added 9 rebounds.

Canisius returns home for the first of five home games in the month of January, Friday the 13th at 7:00 against Marist.

Sabres fall to 'Canes

For the fourth time in five games the Sabres left with a loss. This time it was to the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Sabres headed to the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina for the first game of a back to back Friday and Saturday. The game started off slow with no scoring or penalties in the first 20 minutes.

The second period was much more exciting. A Mike Weber high-sticking penalty lead to the first goal of the night off the stick of Justin Faulk from the point gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead. However, the Sabres responded quick with a rebound goal from Thomas Vanek 21 seconds later to tie it up at 1.

Bryan Allen and Tyler Myers took minor penalties in the second that lead to no goals but some exciting scoring opportunities and chances.

The third period went to the 'Canes with three goals. Captain Eric Staal opened the period's scoring with a behind the net shot off of Miller. A shot off the back boards came right to Staal and he caught Miller sliding and put it in off his backside to regain the lead for the Hurricanes.

The Sabres made it a fight only six minutes later when a lucky bounce went the Sabres way. Pominville got credit for the goal which seemed to give the Sabres a chance.

However, Friday was not the Sabres night when goals from Chad LaRose and Brandon Sutter broke the game open for Carolina.

Eric Staal was the first star of the game with a goal and two assists.

The loss in the standings hurts the Sabres but the biggest loss of the game was Derek Roy who went down with an injury and will "miss some time" as per Lundy Ruff.

The Sabres next matchup is tonight versus the newly reformed Winnipeg Jets at the First Niagara Center.

The Sabres need to get a win streak together if they want any chance at making a run towards the playoffs in Spring. They have not had back to back wins since before Thanksgiving. And with only two home games remaining in January tonight would be a good night to start one up.

Griffs Rally not Enough to get Past St. Peters

The Golden Griffins of Canisius mounted a tremendous comeback in the final five minutes of the game but it just wasn't meant to be as Tom Parrotta's team fell to 3-11 and 0-4 in conference.

Canisius found themselves shooting the ball poorly again (37.9 for the game) and trailed 27-25 at half.

In the second half, St. Peters pounced on the vulnerable Canisius team and stretched their lead to as many as 16 with just over five minutes to play. At that point, all hope for the Griffs seemed lost but Harold Washington, the MAAC's second leading scorer coming into the game, took over and scored the next ten points for Canisius as they closed that once insurmountable gap to just one 62-61 with 25 seconds left.

St. Peters made two foul shots to make that lead three. Washington then tried to tie the game up on the other end with a three pointer but his attempt was off the mark and the rally was officially over.

The loss is very tough for the Griffs to take as the entire season has been filled with close games that could have swung either way. Unfortunately those close ones haven't swung in Canisius' favor.

On a postive note, junior guard Gabby Belardo was able to return to the lineup. It is unclear how his nagging back injury is progressing at this point but he was able to post 33 minutes of action for Coach Parrotta's squad so that has to be a positive sign.

Alshwan Hymes led the Griffs with 15 points. Belardo and Washington has 13 and 14 points receptively. Forward Chris Manhertz once again registered double digit rebounds as he brought in 11 to go along with his 6 points.

Canisius will look to right the ship and get their first conference win against 10-4 Loyola (MD).

97 Rock Pulls the Plug on the Bills

97 Rock, the longtime provider for radio broadcasts of Buffalo Bills football, announced that it will no longer carry the teams' games.

Chet Osadchey, Vice President and General Manager for Cumulus Media, said in a interview with the Buffalo News that "After a lengthy negotiation process, we withdrew from the bid process with the team."

The Buffalo News tried to contact Marc Honan, Bills senior vice president of marketing and broadcasting, but he could not be reached for questions.

It is reported today that the Bills have reached an agreement with ENTERCOM Sports and WGR 550 on AM radio.

Bills CEO Russ Brandon said "we are excited about the Bills move to WGR 550 AM in Buffalo and the opportunity to speak and engage with our loyal fans, while providing them with the ability to hear our games on the 24/7 sports station they listen to most. Teaming with a powerful local brand like ENTERCOM is a tremendous way for us to reach a wide variety of listeners, from teenagers and their families to seasoned sports enthusiasts alike."

Information for this article was provided by The Buffalo News: http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article693970.ece
Information on Bills deal with WGR and Entercom from WGR 550 website.
http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/100572/buffalo-bills-ink-deal-with-wgr

Pregame Notes from the FN Center; 1/03/2012

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

Forwards skating: T. Vanek, M. Ellis, T. Ennis, N. Gerbe, D. Roy, Z. Kassian, P. Gaustad, P. Kaleta, L. Adam, D. Stafford, B. Boyes, V. Leino*, J. Hecht, C. McCormick

Defenseman skating: T. Myers, M. Gragnani, J. Leopold, B. McNabb, M. Weber, R. Regher, T. Brennan

Goalies skating: R. Miller, J. Enroth

Not skating: C. Ehrhoff, A. Sekera

Observations & notes:
- R. Miller first goalie to leave ice (indicates starter)
- Leino, Myers, and Ennis stayed on to get some conditioning work in after players left ice
- Kassian skating on a line with Roy and Vanek
- Boyes skating with Stafford and Adam

*wearing red non contact jersey

Edwards Fired as Bills DC; Wannstedt Takes Over

After multiple years of ineptitude on the defensive side of the ball the Bills have cut ties with coordinator George Edwards.

The Bills had an all-time bad season this year setting multiple team worsts. They allowed 5,938 yards which is the most in franchise history and 434 points which is second worst all-time.

Edwards lasted two seasons in Buffalo before ultimately being let go by the team Monday afternoon. Edwards brought with him the 3-4 defense and it never panned out accordingly. The defense allowed 400 yards a remarkable eight times this season and that just simply isn't good enough for a young and building team.

Edwards is being replaced by current assistant head coach and linebackers coach Dave Wannstedt who just completed his first season with the team. He primarily works with the teams' inside linebackers.

Wannstedt brings many years of head coaching experience both at the professional and collegiate level. He coached the Chicago Bears from 1993-1998 and the Miami Dolphins until 2004. His most recent stint was with the University of Pittsburgh.

Bills Looking to Sweep Tom Brady and the Patriots

It seems like so long ago the city of Buffalo was buzzing with excitement about the possibility of the Bills in the playoff picture. Losses in seven of their past eight games have put a quick and abrupt end to all of that talk and has forced fans once again to focus on what could have been.

The excitement from this season all started in week three when the Bills were able to force four Tom Brady interceptions and pick up their first win against New England since 2003. A Rian Lindell last second field goal gave the Bills a 34-31 victory. In that game, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for a total of 369 yards and 2 touchdowns. At the time, Fred Jackson was still active and healthy and he racked up 74 yards and a touchdown.

Even though the defense of Buffalo allowed just under 500 yards (495) to the Patriots offense, it seemed like it was the beginning of something special in Buffalo and maybe the re-emergence of the dominant Buffalo Bills like we saw in the early 1990's.

After that game, the Bills continued on to post a 5-2 record through eight weeks. Ryan Fitzpatrick was playing at a high level and was rewarded with a 6 year 59 million dollar contract (33 million guaranteed).

From that point on, the season completely turned on not only the players but the fans as well. The Bills went on a seven game losing streak and now sit at a disappointing 6-9. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been nothing short of disappointing and erratic. Star running back Fred Jackson is currently on IR with a broken leg, and star wide-out Stevie Johnson may be playing his last game in a Bills jersey this week. With so many saying the future looks bright, is that really the case?

If the Bills are able to get the 2011 first half Ryan Fitzpatrick, a healthy Fred Jackson, and a more team oriented Stevie Johnson, the yes the future holds some key promises. What if the gun-slinging less than trustworthy Fitzpatrick shows up at training camp next year? What is a disgruntled Fred Jackson doesn't get his contract extension he has been promised by Buddy Nix? What if Johnson demands too much money and once again the Bills let another player walk? What if they miss on yet another draft pick in this April's draft?

These are all possibilities and things that are not uncommon for the Bills and their fans. Year after year the season starts with such hope and ends with such disappointment. It is time for that hope to change into confidence and that confidence will come with a shakeup. The team has pieces in place on both sides of the ball but they need more. In this league, a team just simply cannot win with glorified backups in starting roles. Every team has injuries but the good teams can use what they have to make up and pick up the slack.

The Buffalo Bills need to gain a "killer instinct." Right now they do not have anyone on the roster that can add that spark. The problem with the team lies greater than winning ball games or making it to the postseason; It's about giving the loyal and under appreciated fans of this city something to cheer about and have hope in. Not the fake hope that every team has in week one of the regular season, but real hope, the kind of hope that goes way beyond football.