Friday Night ESPNU Matchup Features Firepower
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. – If statistics hold true, offensive firepower won’t be at a shortfall in Friday night’s (Jan. 17) battle between Canisius and Iona, two teams who are currently part of a three-way tie for first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Canisius will take a 5-1 record in MAAC play and 11-6 overall record into Friday’s showdown at Iona. The Gaels are also 5-1 in the MAAC (8-7 overall), and presently part of the three-way tie for first, along with the Golden Griffins and Manhattan (12-3, 5-1). (Manhattan will host Siena on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 7:00 p.m.).
The Canisius at Iona game will tip-off at 9:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
Iona leads the MAAC in scoring, averaging 82.8 points per game (18th best in the NCAA). The Gaels feature two of the MAAC’s top six scorers in senior guard Sean Armand, fifth with 19.1 points per game, and sophomore guard A.J. English, sixth at 18.2 points per game. Armand, a two-time recipient of the MAAC’s “Player of the Week” award this season, and English are also proficient at distributing the ball. English is No. 4 in the league in assists at 4.1 per game, while Armand is right behind him at 3.9 per outing.
“They have the scorers that can do that. We have to be able to defend them, to contain them, and rebound the basketball. That’s the challenge for us,” said Canisius head coach Jim Baron. “We have to defend their ability to score the basketball. They have great balance.”
Canisius counters with the league’s second leading scorer, senior guard Billy Baron. Baron, selected as the MAAC’s “Player of the Week” in two of the last three weeks, is second in the league in scoring at 22.9 points per game and with 389 total points, is the fourth leading point producer in the country. Baron is also second in the MAAC with 4.9 assists per game, and second in free throw percentage, hitting .922 of his attempts from the foul line.
“Like every other coach, you worry about the game that’s in front of you. Every game is a battle,” said Iona head coach Tim Cluess. “They (Canisius) have a heckuva ball club.”
Iona leads the league in field goal percentage, hitting .480 of its shots, while Canisius is No. 3, converting .449 of its field goal attempts. Iona’s 6-9 junior forward David Laury leads the MAAC in field goal percentage, hitting .565 from the floor, while the Golden Griffins’ 6-10 junior forward Jordan Heath is No. 2 in field goal percentage, converting .551 from the field.
Both teams have been successful from beyond the three-point arc, with the Gaels second in the MAAC and fourth in the NCAA, hitting .428 of their shots, while Canisius is third in the MAAC and 19th in the NCAA, hitting .406 of its shots from three-point range. Armand and Baron are virtually tied for the lead in the MAAC with 3.1 three-pointers made per game, and English is right behind them at No. 3, hitting 3.0 three-pointers per outing. Armand is 20th nationally in 3-point field goals made per game, followed closely by Baron (25th) and English (26th). Iona averages 10.1 three-pointers made per game, third in the NCAA, while Canisius is 29th with 8.4 three-point FGs per contest.
There’s no question that a final stat sheet never won or lost a game, but a review of the stats entering the Canisius at Iona game suggest fans at the Hynes Center, and those watching on ESPNU, could be in for a treat.