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Malik Johnson dribbles up the court vs. Siena on Jan. 17, 2020
Marshal Filipowicz
63
Siena SIE 7-8, 3-3 MAAC
73
Winner Canisius CAN 7-10, 2-4 MAAC
Siena SIE
7-8, 3-3 MAAC
63
Final
73
Canisius CAN
7-10, 2-4 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Siena SIE 29 34 63
Canisius CAN 39 34 73

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Basketball Takes Down Siena at Home

Game Recap
Canisius senior guard Malik Johnson scored a game-high 24 points to lead four Golden Griffins in double-figures, and the Blue and Gold's defense held Siena to 38.6 percent shooting from the field, as the Griffs scored a 73-63 win over the Saints Friday night at the Koessler Athletic Center.
 
The win, Canisius' second straight, moves the team to 7-10 overall and 2-4 in MAAC play, while Siena falls to 7-8 overall and 3-3 in conference action.
 
Johnson finished the night by going 8-for-10 from the field, 1-for-3 from 3-point land and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line in 38 minutes of action. He also recorded seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. Junior Jalanni White came off the bench and provided a spark for the Griffs with 13 points, seven boards and a steal, and fellow juniors Majesty Brandon and Scott Hitchon added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Freshman Armon Harried, the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week, posted a team-high eight rebounds in the victory as Canisius out-rebounded Siena 41-29 for the game.
 
For Siena, sophomore Jalen Pickett scored a team-high 21 points to go with six rebounds, four assists and three steals. He ended the night by making eight of the Saint's 22 field goals, including five of Siena's nine connections from 3-point land.
 
Canisius trailed Siena 14-13 just 6:49 into the ball game before the Blue and Gold went on an 8-0 run over the contest's next 1:06 to take a 21-14 lead. That scoring spurt got started thanks to a traditional three-point play from junior Scott Hitchon, a steal and a coast-to-coast dunk by White and a 3-point field goal from sophomore Jordan Henderson. Canisius' lead hovered between six and eight points for the better part of the next 11:00 of the opening frame before Brandon knocked down a fast-break jumper with 1:22 left before halftime to send Canisius into the locker room at intermission up 39-29.
 
Back-to-back buckets from White with less than 9:00 to play put Canisius up 57-42, its largest lead of the evening. Out of a Siena timeout, the Saints battled back and cut the Griffs' hold to 59-54 with 4:47 left to play thanks to a 12-2 run, with Pickett accounting for five of Siena's points during that stretch. Johnson ended Siena's comeback effort moments later, as he knocked down two free-throws, and Henderson pushed Canisius' lead back to nine at 63-54 after he drilled a turn-around jumper with 2:49 remaining in the contest.
 
Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon's Postgame Comments
"I think our guys, for the most part, had a pretty well sustained effort and intensity. [Siena] is a really good team, and we didn't want them to get out on us early. When we went into halftime with a 10-point lead, it felt very similar to the last time we played where we had an 11-point halftime lead. We really wanted to start the second half with a focused effort, and I think we were able to do that."
 
"Siena plays a lot of guys, so knowing their personnel and their tendencies is important. We talked a lot about that coming off the first game. We have some new guys that allow the little details to escape them. I think we still have a ways to go in learning to finish games. We are still learning time and score and situations."
 
"I think we've been able to rebound the ball a little bit better and we've gotten our guards involved in rebounding the ball and that's helped us get better. We still have a way to go there too, but that has kind of kept our opponents at bay."
 
Game Notes
• Friday was the 104th all-time meeting between the two schools, with Siena holding a 55-49 lead in the series.
• Canisius improved to 51-24 under fourth-year head coach Reggie Witherspoon when scoring 70-or-more points in a game.
• Johnson's assist on Hitchon's jumper with 10:35 left in the game was the 551st assist of his career, which allowed him to move past former Griffs guard Javone Moore for second-place on the school's career assist list.
• The 24-point effort for Johnson stands as the sixth time in his career he's scored 20-plus in a game, with four of those occasions coming this season.
• Senior Corey Brown was credited with a career-high four assists in the win. He also added four points and two rebounds to his final stat line.
• The 13 points for White are the most for the New Haven, Conn., native in a MAAC game this season.
• Canisius' bench outscored Siena's reserves by a 35-15 clip.

Up Next
Canisius will close out its weekend homestand on Sunday at the Koessler Athletic Center when the Rider Broncs come to town. That game, which will be presented by Own NY Real Estate, will tip-off at 2 p.m., and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The radio call will be available through WECK Buffalo Radio (1230-AM, 100.5-FM and 102.9-FM) and GoGriffs.com.
 
For complete coverage of Canisius men's basketball, please follow the Griffs on social media at @Griffs_MBB on Twitter and Instagram.
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