By Paul Gotham
BUFFALO, NY – Fifty-seven seconds remained on the Koessler Athletic Center clock when Billy Baron let fly from the top of the key. Like he had done so many times last year and several times on this evening, the senior point guard’s shot found the twine.
For the third time in the last ten minutes of the game Baron connected from behind the arc and gave the Canisius Golden Griffins the lead. This time they held on for an opening-night victory over the University of South Dakota Coyotes, 71-66.
The senior point guard used a ball screen at the top of the key from teammate Jordan Heath. He created space with a dribble and found just enough of an opening to release the eventual game winner.
“That is what I work on,” Baron said of the shot. “I’m the senior. I got to take ownership. I got to take leadership. That shot misses, that’s on me, but I’m fine with that. I was just trying to get a little space. Thankfully, I did and knocked it down.”
Baron’s shot was exactly what interim head coach Joey James and the Coyotes planned to stop, yet no amount of pre-game preparations could contain Baron.
“We tried to mix it up on the ball screens for him, so it’s not so easy when he turns that corner,” James said. “But still he got loose at the times he needed with the ball and made a big shot.”
Baron’s eventual game-winner was his fifth behind the arc on a night where he tallied a game-high 27. The Coyotes gave Baron and the Golden Griffins a variety of looks, but it didn’t matter.
“It was effective at times,” James said of the strategy. “But then he started turning the corner a little bit more and getting some different looks at the basket.”
Baron’s three ball at the 9:51 mark gave the Griffs a 49-48 edge. This time the younger Heath, Josiah, set the ball screen for Baron to use.
“We jammed ball screens,” James explained. “Which means our big comes up and goes chest to shoulder with the other bigs, Josiah (Heath), Jordan (Heath) or whomever, and then our guard goes underneath to try and meet him. We blitzed the ball screens which means we totally try to take the ball out of his hands where he’s got to pick it up and kick it back to Jordan.”
Baron found the measure on the next possession. This time he nailed a catch-and-shoot three from the right corner after the Griffs quickly moved the ball from one side of the floor to the other and then back again.
Canisius clung to a 52-50 lead.
“Once we went zone we thought maybe he’d float out there a little bit more and not have the ball in his hands where he’s so dominant with it.”
Baron hit six of fifteen shots on the night from the floor including five of nine from long range. He added 10-of-11 from the free throw line.
“We did everything we can to try to take the ball out of Billy’s hands in late game situations. Obviously, they work on that quite a bit.”
Baron didn’t need to be told about the defensive scheme. He knew what was coming and sensed it throughout the night. He also knew the Coyotes had experience against effective scoring guards.
“I did my work early,” Baron stated. “I studied them last year and how they guarded ball screens especially with a guy like (current NBA player) Nate Wolters who they played last year.”
Baron used the game as a learning experience to prepare for conference play that starts next month.
“I got to do a better job attacking,” Baron continued. “Not only just for myself, but I got to set these guys (my teammates) up down low. With all those different looks, that’s something to me as a senior no matter how many looks they throw at me, I got to be able to make that counter move. That comes from studying game film, studying what they did last year, and how they’re doing that. I didn’t do that much last year, to study other teams. Now, it’s kind of got to be more mental when teams throw that at you. I’m sure they’re not going to be the only one to do that.”
The win comes after a season where the Griffs lost seven games by single digits. Their last three losses in particular are fresh in their mind – a 65-61 setback to Rider in the regular season home finale; an 89-85 defeat in the MAAC tournament to Iona and an 84-83 loss to Evansville in the CIT quarter-final.
“It’s good to have that pressure on you when time and score is extremely tight. We need stuff like that,” Baron noted. “Being able to pull out a gritty game like that shows how far we’ve come.”
Canisius travels to Olean on Saturday for a Big 4 matchup with the St. Bonaventure Bonnies. Tipoff at the Reilly Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Paul Gotham is the Communications and Media Director of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. Paul is the founder, owner, editor and lead writer at Pickin’ Splinters. His work has been featured on Seamheads.com, BruceSpringsteen.net and in the 2013 USA Today College Basketball Preview. His book, Everybody On, Nobody Out, chronicles the hope and possibility of the NYCBL. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PickinSplinters.
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