Written by: Andrew Nowel
The men’s basketball team finished up their longest road trip of the season this past Tuesday in College Park, Maryland. After the four-game trip, the Griffs remain in search of their first win of the season. As they prepare to head home to host the Brown Bears, the Griffs look to improve to a 1–1 home record before heading back on the road once again.
After starting in Erie, Pennsylvania last week, the Griffs traveled to Michigan for the Bronco Classic. Their first game was against SIUE on Saturday afternoon, which saw the team register a quick 12–2 run right off tipoff. Redshirt sophomore Cam Palesse earned four of the 12 points for the Griffs as the Cougars took their first timeout. Coming out of the break, SIUE dominated the Griffs. For the next eight minutes, Canisius wasn’t able to put points on the board. The Cougars went on a 27–2 run, heading into the half with a 43–27 lead.
Leading scorer junior Paul McMillan IV continued to put up numbers as he notched 18 points in the eventual 76–58 loss. Senior Tana Kopa earned 12 points, while Palesse finished with eight points and five rebounds.
The Griffs returned to the court the next day to face the host Western Michigan Broncos. The result was similar, as Western Michigan defeated Canisius 92–69. McMillan IV once again led the team in points with 23, notching six rebounds, four assists and two steals in the losing effort. Once again, the Griffs jumped out to an early 13–4 lead before the Broncos found their rhythm and took control of the game.
The final stop on the trip was in Maryland, where the Terrapins awaited the Blue and Gold. This would be a game to forget for Canisius, as the Griffs made the first shot of the game, but never regained the lead. By halftime, the Terrapins were up 59–14 and won the game 108–37. McMillan IV and Kopa combined for 20 of the Griffs’ 37 total points in the loss.
With an 0–6 record, Canisius returns home to host Brown on Saturday afternoon. They’ve only played one home game this season – a well-played game that ended in a loss to Saint Bonaventure on Nov. 9. The Bears enter Saturday’s contest with a 2–3 record, and have only played one other game on the road. The Griffs are “excited to play at home again after what feels like forever,” as head coach Jim Christian mentioned in his Maryland postgame interview on Tuesday.
The Bears and Griffs have matched up four times, with each team winning twice. In 2019, the Bears won the last meeting 75–68 at home in Providence, Rhode Island. They are also on a two-game winning streak against the Griffs with an overtime victory the last time the Bears were in Buffalo in 2018. The Griffs will look for their first win of the season on Saturday, with tipoff scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Koessler Athletic Center.