Canisius (5-5, 0-0) vs. Siena (3-5, 0-0)
Times Union Center, Albany, New York; Monday, 6 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Canisius visits Siena as MAAC play starts for both teams. In conference play last season, each team finished with 12 wins and eight losses.
TEAM LEADERSHIP: The dynamic Malik Johnson is averaging 14.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists to lead the way for the Golden Griffins. Majesty Brandon is also a primary contributor, maintaining an average of 10.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. The Saints have been led by Manny Camper, who is averaging 13.9 points and 11.5 rebounds.
FUELING THE OFFENSE: Johnson has either made or assisted on 49 percent of all Canisius field goals over the last three games. The senior guard has accounted for 14 field goals and 21 assists in those games.
STREAK STATS: Siena has won its last three home games, scoring an average of 85 points while giving up 72.
ASSIST RATIOS: The Golden Griffins have recently converted buckets via assists more often than the Saints. Siena has an assist on 32 of 74 field goals (43.2 percent) over its previous three games while Canisius has assists on 40 of 72 field goals (55.6 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: The disruptive Canisius defense has forced opponents to turn the ball over on 24.6 percent of all possessions, the 30th-best rate in the country. Siena has a forced-turnover percentage of only 18.2 percent through eight games (ranking the Saints 274th among Division I teams).
