GAME NOTES: The Massachusetts Minutemen hope to snap a three-game losing streak when they host the Canisius Golden Griffins on Saturday afternoon at the Mullins Center.

UMass is coming off an 84-75 loss to Florida Gulf Coast in Springfield, Massachusetts last Sunday. Canisius, which is going after a third straight win and will try to end its road trip 3-0, beat Niagara, 77-64, a week ago.

This will be only the third meeting between these two teams. UMass won a contest in Amherst on Jan. 24, 1961, and Canisius earned a 54-52 home win on Jan. 26, 1963.

The Minutemen were led by Donte Clark's 25 points in the loss to Florida Gulf Coast. Maxie Esho contributed 11 points, but UMass lost the contest by allowing FGCU to shoot 10-of-18 from behind the 3-point line. Cady Lalanne had nine points, six rebounds and five blocks for UMass, while Trey Davis dished out eight assists.

Davis, Maxie Esho, Derrick Gordon and Lalanne are carrying the load for the Minutemen this season. They have combined for 67.5 percent of the points for the team, but Clark, a freshman, has come on of late. He is averaging 12.3 points over the last six contests. Lalanne, a senior center, is averaging 14.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. Esho ranks second on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg), second in rebounding (6.2 rpg) and first in field goal percentage (.530). Gordon is averaging 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Davis, a junior point guard, is averaging 10.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest. The Minutemen average 74.8 ppg, nearly one more than they are allowing. They have struggled shooting from long distance at just 28.2 percent. Davis leads the team with 10 3-pointers.

The Golden Griffins are 2-0 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play after wins over Saint Peter's and Niagara, but now step outside the conference once again. Phil Valenti tallied a double-double consisting of 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead Canisius in the win over Niagara. Josiah Heath scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Jermaine Crumpton added 13 points of his own for Canisius. Jamal Reynolds chipped in with 12 points and seven boards in the win.

The Golden Griffins are led offensively by sophomore guard Zach Lewis at 12.1 ppg. Valenti, a sophomore forward, is averaging 11.0 ppg and paces the team in rebounding (6.7 rpg). Reynolds (7.7 ppg), Heath (6.4 ppg) and freshman guard Jan Grzelinski (3.3 ppg) are also part of the starting lineup for a squad that averages only 62 points on offense. The issue for the Golden Griffins is shooting percentage. Canisius enters today's game shooting just 37.3 percent from the field, but the Golden Griffins did make 49.1 percent in the game against Niagara.

UMass has won 13 of its last 14 regular-season non-conference home games. Canisius coach Jim Baron is familiar with UMass considering he coached at St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island, members of the Atlantic 10. Baron is just 15-30 all-time versus UMass.