Baron Adds Two More to Revamped Canisius Squad

When Canisius College hired Jim Baron as their new men's basketball coach in April, they were expecting steady improvements and better results over his tenure.

They may be getting those results and improvements a lot earlier than expected.

Since taking over the program just a few short months ago, Baron has added four new players to complement the three transfers that will be eligible this season.  Freddy Asprilla, Isaac Sosa, and Jordan Heath all will look to make immediate impacts after sitting out the entire 2011-2012 campaign.

Billy Baron, son of Jim Baron joins the program after transferring from Rhode Island (where Jim Baron last coached).  His NCAA waiver was recently granted making him eligible immediately.  Baron started 14 games while with Rhode Island last season averaging 13.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.

"I'm really excited to have Billy on a personal level and we are extremely happy to have him join our program at Canisius" said Jim Baron.

Canisius also announced last week that Tyrel Edwards (Hamilton Ontario/Olney Central College) and Dominique Raney (Oklahoma City, Okla./Navarro College) will be joining the team and eligible to play immediately.

Edwards (6-5, 195 lbs) averaged 12.3 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the floor in the 2010-2011 campaign at Olney Central College.  He red shirted this past season.

Raney (6-4, 180lbs) averaged just under four points this past season at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas.  His Bulldogs that year finished 25-11 and earned a berth into the 2012 NJCAA National Tournament.

Phil Valenti, a 6-7 forward from Aquinas Institute averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds his senior season.  He will be coming in as a freshman and looking to improve and learn under many of the upperclassmen and seasoned veterans.

Jermaine Johnson (Stone Mountain, GA) rounds out the list of players new to Canisius this season.  Coming in as a freshman, Baron is pleased to have Johnson.  "We are excited to add Jermaine to our program.  We like his speed and ability to handle the ball, and he's not afraid to work hard, both on and off the court.  This is the kind of student-athlete we are looking to add to our program here at Canisius."

The 5-10 guard says that Canisius fit him best.  "When I met the players and coaching staff on my visit, I felt like they were a family and I really loved the atmosphere."

Leaving the Canisus programs includes Gaby Belardo, Tyler Funk, Sean Ezeamama, David Santiago, and Franklin Milian.

Baron Excited for Challenge at Canisius

The Canisius College Golden Griffins have a new men's basketball coach. Jim Baron was introduced Tuesday afternoon inside the Koessler Athletic Center in front of many students, faculty, alumni, fans, and media.

Baron thanked the Griffs for giving him another chance to coach. He has coached at St. Bonaventure, St. Francis, and most recently Rhode Island to go along with many stints as an assistant. Baron is a proven winner and has shown that everywhere he goes. Canisius will be looking for him to make their struggling program into a winner as well.

"I'm looking forward to reconnecting with the great high school coaches that are in the area," said Baron. "I think the MAAC conference is a solid conference, with great balance and has excellent programs with terrific coaches... When I come into programs, those young men become our young men. I'm really looking forward to the challenges, but also to the support, and the individuals."

Towards the end of his conference, Baron showed his familiarity with the area by noting that he is excited to get chicken wings from the anchor bar and to eat at Chef's.

Forward Chris Manhertz, heading into his junior year told me that Baron "just gave us an overview of his coaching style and what he expects of us as student-athletes."

Losing head coach Tom Parrotta was a blow to most players on the team as they had developed relationships with him over his six year stint at Canisius. Manhertz said, "it was unfortunate at the time... but we can't worry about what we can't control."

The team itself will have to recover from a very disappointing 5-25 (1-17) finish last year. "I think we were somewhat sub-par defensively in my opinion and that's one thing we need to tighten up this year," said Manhertz. He told me that he is working on becoming a more complete player. Manhertz averaged 7.9 rebounds per game last year. He also had 99 offensive boards. "I'm just trying to be as versatile as possible. I'm just working on my ball handling and perimeter skills, and jump shot."

The buzz around the team last year was the three transfer students waiting in the wings having to sit out the entire season due to NCAA transfer rules. 6 foot 10 inch forwards Freddy Asprilla from Kansas State and Jordan Heath from NAIA II Roberts Wesleyan are going to add a major force down low for the Griffs. "With Freddy, Jordan, and Issac coming in we are going to have a very complete team," junior guard Gabby Belardo told me. "They are going to have a big impact."

Belardo of course was a preseason first team all MAAC last season after transferring from South Florida but didn't have the season he would have liked. He was nagged all season by a back injury which forced him to miss some time and play hurt for most of the season. I asked Belardo about his back and he told me "it feels a lot better. I have been doing my workouts good, its a work in progress."

This hire is something that will hopefully provide a spark for the program that it hasn't seen since the 1996, the last time the Griffs were atop the MAAC. Baron will have a tough task in front of him but re-building a basketball program doesn't happen overnight.

Griffs to Introduce Baron at 3:00pm Today

After the long search, the Canisius College men's basketball program has found their next head coach to replace Tom Parrotta.

"I am extremely pleased to introduce Jim Baron as our men's basketball coach," athletic director Bill Maher said. "In naming Jim to his position, we have hired a man who has a proven track record of building successful basketball programs and developing young men. He is excited to return to Western New York to lead the Canisius College basketball program."

Jim Baron, a Saint Bonaventure graduate and player himself will take over as the 23rd coach in the school's history and try to rebuild an already broken down program.

Baron was an assistant coach at Notre Dame (1981-87), St. Bonaventure (1980-81), Loyola University (Md.) (1979-80), and the University of Rochester (1978-79).

His first head coaching job was at Saint Francis University (PA) where he led the program to it's only NCAA Tournament berth in 1991. Baron also spent time coaching in the Atlantic-10 with his alma mater St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island.

Jim Baron has won 390 games in his career to go along with eight 20 win seasons, 2 NCAA Tournament berths, and 11 postseason appearances.

Canisius will introduce Baron today in a 3:00pm press conference at the Koessler Athletic Center.

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

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."

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.

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.

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.