VERMILLION, S.D. - Canisius College shot 55.6 percent from the field and 88.9 percent from
the free-throw in overtime and outscored the host South Dakota Coyotes 19-9 in
the extra frame to post a 90-80 overtime victory in the DakataDome Sunday
afternoon in Vermillion, S.D. The win snapped the Golden Griffins' seven-game
losing streak and improved the team to 2-8, while South Dakota fell to 4-6 with
the loss.
Three Canisius players scored in
double figures, led by junior Alshwan
Hymes, who was good for a game-high 26 points after he went 8-for-17 from
the floor, 6-for-9 from 3-point land and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.
Fellow junior Harold Washington
chipped in 24 points, with 20 of those coming in the game's final 25 minutes,
and freshman Kevin Bleeker recorded
his first career double-double with a career-high 18 points and a career best
10 rebounds. Fellow freshman Josiah
Heath added eight points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and two assists to the
winning effort, as the Blue and Gold earned their second win on the DakotaDome
floor in the last 376 days.
The Griffs trailed by four at 68-64
with 5:02 left in the game, but knotted the contest at 68-68 with 1:48 left on
the clock after baskets by sophomore Reggie
Groves and Washington in a span of 1:11. South Dakota took a three-point
lead with 26 seconds left on the clock after Coyote guard Steve Tecker got free
in the corner and knocked down a 3-pointer to make the score 71-68. Out of a
Canisius timeout with 17 ticks left, Hymes used a shot fake and pulled up at
the top of the key to nail a 3-pointer of his own to square the score at 71-71
with nine seconds left in regulation time. South Dakota used a timeout with
five seconds left and then had two chances to win the game at the end of
regulation, but missed two close-range jumpers and the teams went into the
overtime period, Canisius' first overtime game this season.
In overtime, the teams traded baskets
back and forth, but Washington's 3-point field goal from the right corner with
2:32 left in the game gave Canisius an 81-78 lead and started a 9-0 run for the
Griffs which helped seal the victory. In that run, Bleeker made two
free-throws, Heath grabbed an offensive rebound and laid one back into the hoop
and Hymes drilled a pair from the line to put Canisius up 87-78 with 34 seconds
left to play.
Washington ended the night by going
11-for-23 from the field, 1-for-3 from 3-point land and 1-for-2 from the line
for his 24 points, the seventh time this season he's scored more than 15 points
in a game for Canisius. Bleeker went 7-for-8 from the floor and 4-for-6 from
the free-throw line, while adding a career-high six defensive rebounds to his
final stat line. Canisius held a 45-29 advantage on the glass and turned 16
offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points. The Griffs also scored 44
points in the paint in the win and got a season-high 24 points off the bench.
South Dakota was led by senior Charlie Westbrook, who scored 21 points
and dished out three assists in the loss. Tecker had 13 points and nine
rebounds for the Coyotes, while senior Louie Krogman was good for 12 points and
five assists in the losing effort. South Dakota shot 44.3 percent from the
field and 27.8 percent from 3-point land in the game, while the Griffs ended
the day shooting 50.8 percent from the floor and 45 percent from behind the
arc.
The Griffs will be back in action
Thurdsay, Dec. 22, when the team plays host to Loyola (Chicago) in the second
game of a basketball doubleheader at the Koessler Athletic Center. The Canisius
women's team will start the night off at 5:15 p.m., when it hosts Albany, and
the men's game will follow at 7:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on Time
Warner SportsNet.
Game Notes: This was the third meeting between
these two schools, with Canisius now holding a 2-1 lead in the all-time series...
South Dakota is 15-3 in its last 18 home dates, with the Griffs counting for
two of those wins against the Coyotes in their home court... The 90 points scored
by Canisius are the most under head coach Tom
Parrotta... Prior to Sunday, the last time Canisius played an overtime game
was Feb. 7, 2010, a loss at Saint Peter's... The win in extra time improves the
Blue and Gold to 78-41 all-time in OT, with 17 of those wins coming on the
road... Hymes' 26 points are a season high for the junior, besting his 24-point
effort in the team's win at Longwood Nov. 15... Heath is averaging 16.5 rebounds
per game in the team's last two outings, and he matched a career-high with
three blocks... Bleeker is the second freshman in as many games to record a
double-double, as Heath had a double-double at UMKC Friday night in Kansas
City, Mo.
