LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - The Canisius College women's basketball team used timely baskets at the end of regulation and overtime to pick up a 61-58 win over Rider University at Alumni Gymnasium on Friday evening. The Golden Griffins, who have won four out of five, even their record at 12-12 overall and 6-7 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Sophomore Jen Morabito led Canisius with 14 points while freshman Kayla Hoohuli had 12 points and seven rebounds. Junior Ashley Durham had 11 points and seven rebounds. Junior Ashley Wilkes had a career-high 13 rebounds while sophomore Courtney VandeBovenkamp had 12 boards. Canisius shot 7-for-16 on 3-pointers and held a 54-42 advantage on the boards to overcome 30 turnovers.
"Instead of watching when Ashley went to the basket, Courtney ran in and crashed the offensive glass. That was a big hustle play and proved to be the gamewinner," Canisius coach Terry Zeh said. "We obviously had too many turnovers again, and we will continue to work to correct that, but we will take the road win."
The Griffs trailed 54-51 in the final minute when Morabito drained a deep 3-pointer from the right wing with 30.5 seconds left to tie the game. The Griffs forced a Rider miss but were unable to get a shot off before the end of regulation, sending the game to overtime.
Rider (10-14, 2-11 MAAC) would take a 58-56 lead with just over three minutes left in overtime, and the Griffs would hold the Broncs scoreless for the rest of the game. VandeBovenkamp drained two free throws with 2:26 left to tie the game. Both teams would come up empty on their next possessions, giving Canisius the ball with just over a minute left. Durham drove to the basket and couldn't finish the layup, but VandeBovenkamp crashed the offensive glass and her putback with 1:02 left proved to be the game-winner. The Griffs forced a Rider missed field goal, but then turned it over to give it back to the Broncs. Durham would poke away the ball and eventually split two free throws to put Canisius up by three. The Broncs shot a 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining, but it didn't fall and the Griffs grabbed the rebound to seal the game.
Emily Fazzini had 22 points for the Broncs, the only Rider player to reach double figures. Caitlin Bopp had nine while MyNeshia McKenzie had eight points as Rider shot 27.8 percent from the floor.
Both teams started slow offensively, and the Broncs would take a 14-9 lead after the second 3-pointer of the first half from Fazzini. The Griffs scored five straight - getting a 3-pointer from sophomore Jen Morabito and a hook shot from Wilkes - to even the score at 14-14 with just under eight minutes remaining in the opening half. The Griffs would take a 17-16 lead after a free throw from Wilkes, but Rider held Canisius to one field goal in the final 7:30 of the half and took a six-point lead into the locker room.
Cansius battled back in the opening part of the second half, tying the game at 31-31 with five straight points capped with two free throws from VandeBovenkamp following a flagrant foul. The Broncs then scored five straight of their own, with a basket from Sarah Homan giving Rider a 36-31 lead. A fast-break layup from sophomore Jamie Ruttle halted the run and ignited a 7-2 spurt that evened the score at 38-38. Hoohuli then drained in a 3-pointer from the corner to give Canisius its first lead (41-38) of the second half with just over nine minutes remaining. The teams stayed close until Rider built a 50-47 lead with 4:08 left. After two free throws from Durham, the point guard gathered a loose ball and threw a long pass to sophomore Jamie Ruttle, who drained a pull-up baseline jumper to give Canisius a one-point lead. A deep jumper from Fazzini and a layup from McKenzie toput Rider up by three. The Griffs turned it over, but then got a stop to set up the game-tying 3-pointer from Morabito.
Canisius plays the last game of its four-game road trip and its last away game of the regular season at Saint Peter's on Sunday, with game time in the Yanitelli Center set for 2 p.m.
Notes: Canisius trailed 25-19 at the half and has trailed at the half in all eight league road games this season... Canisius started the game with 14 assists on its first 14 baskets and finished with 16 assists on 18 baskets... Canisius is now 2-0 on the season in overtime (Jan. 9 vs. Iona) and 6-1 in games decided by five points or fewer or that went to overtime... Of the 13 rebounds for Wilkes, 10 came in the first half while 10 of VandeBovenkamp's 12 rebounds came in the second half or overtime... Durham had seven or more assists for the fourth time in the last six games... The four wins in five games is the best five-game stretch of the season for Canisius... The Griffs sweep the Broncs for the 10th time in the last 12 years... Canisius won back-to-back MAAC road games for the first time since Jan. 16-18, 2010... The 30 turnovers are the most in a Canisius win since the Griffs had 35 against Mount St. Mary's Dec. 2, 2001.. Two Griffs had double-digit rebounds in the same game for the first time since Feb. 8, 2008, against Siena when Laura Buetow (13 rebounds) and Ellie Radke (10 rebounds) accomplished the feat
