Canisius looks for home win vs Siena

Siena (7-7, 3-2) vs. Canisius (6-10, 1-4)

Koessler Athletic Center, Buffalo, New York; Friday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Canisius looks for its fourth straight win over Siena at Koessler Athletic Center. The last victory for the Saints at Canisius was a 99-78 win on Jan. 24, 2016.

BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: The dynamic Malik Johnson is averaging 12.7 points, six rebounds and 5.6 assists to lead the way for the Golden Griffins. Majesty Brandon has complemented Johnson and is producing 12.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. The Saints are led by Manny Camper, who is averaging a double-double with 13 points and 11.5 rebounds.

DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS: The Golden Griffins have given up just 68.4 points per game to Metro Atlantic Athletic opponents thus far. That’s an improvement from the 72.1 per game they gave up in non-conference play.

OFFENSIVE THREAT: Jalen Pickett has directly created 44 percent of all Siena field goals over the last three games. The sophomore guard has 16 field goals and 15 assists in those games.

COLD SPELL: Siena has lost its last seven road games, scoring 68.9 points, while allowing 78.3 per game.

ASSIST RATIOS: The Golden Griffins have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Saints. Canisius has an assist on 35 of 60 field goals (58.3 percent) across its past three games while Siena has assists on 34 of 71 field goals (47.9 percent) during its past three games.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: The disruptive Canisius defense has forced opponents to turn the ball over on 24.5 percent of all possessions, the 23rd-best rate among Division I teams. Siena has a forced-turnover percentage of only 18 percent through 14 games (ranking the Saints 278th).