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Canisius University Athletics

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Jacco Fritz shoots the ball against Rider at the Koessler Athletic Center on Jan. 19, 2020
Marshal Filipowicz
86
Rider RID 9-8, 3-4 MAAC
95
Winner Canisius CAN 8-10, 3-4 MAAC
Rider RID
9-8, 3-4 MAAC
86
Final
95
Canisius CAN
8-10, 3-4 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Rider RID 42 44 86
Canisius CAN 52 43 95

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Team Effort Leads Men’s Basketball Past Rider

Game Recap
Five Canisius players posted double-figures in the scoring column and the Golden Griffins ended the contest by shooting a season-high 60.7 percent from the field, as the Blue and Gold posted a 95-86 win over Rider Sunday afternoon at the Koessler Athletic Center. The win, Canisius' third straight, improved the team to 8-10 overall and 3-4 in MAAC play, while the Broncs fell to 9-8 overall and 3-4 in conference action with the loss.
 
The 95 points scored by the Griffs are the most for the team this season, and it marks the most points scored by the Blue and Gold in a MAAC game since Feb. 28, 2018, when the team hung 98 points on Marist. The 60.7 percent effort from the field came after the Griffs hit on 37-of-61 shots in the contest, making Sunday the first time the Blue and Gold shot 60 percent or better for a game since that Feb. 28, 2018 contest vs. Marist.
 
Senior Malik Johnson posted his fourth career double-double with 18 points and 11 assists, while freshman Jacco Fritz scored a career-high 17 points to go with six rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Jordan Henderson scored 16 points on the power of four makes from 3-point range, while junior Majesty Brandon and freshman Armon Harried added 12 and 10 points, respectively. All 10 Canisius players in uniform had at least two points in the victory and six different players were credited with an assist as the team finished the day posting 23 assists on 37 made field goals.
 
Sunday's game started at a fast pace, as the two teams combined for 28 points before the first media timeout 4:05 into the contest, where Canisius led 15-13. Henderson scored 11 of the Griffs' first 15 points after he drilled three 3-pointers and connected on a lay-up in the opening moments of the game. Rider was able to battle back, as the Broncs held a 27-25 lead with 10:24 left before halftime, but back-to-back buckets by Fritz and Johnson put Canisius ahead 29-27 with 9:04 left in the opening frame, and from there, Canisius never trailed the rest of the way.
 
The Griffs took a 52-42 lead into the locker room at halftime, and a jumper by Johnson with 17:00 showing on the game clock put the home team up 60-44. Canisius held a double-digit cushion for the next 14-plus minutes of game action, but Rider was able to trim Canisius' hold to as few as six points with less than a minute left to play. However, the Griffs went 6-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final 51 seconds of play to seal the victory.
 
For Rider, Tyere Marshall scored a game-high 31 points to go with seven rebounds, while Christian Ings added 15 points and six boards. Rider out-rebounded Canisius by a 32-31 clip, but the Broncs hit on just 22-of-36 shots from the free-throw line for the game.
 
Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon's Postgame Comments
"I thought the pace of the game was really high, and it as important for us to pass the basketball and catch it and not turn it over. I thought we did a pretty good job of that. Also, because of the pace of the game, we knew we were going to need contributions from everyone. I think everyone contributed and we certainly needed it. Give credit to Rider. They're a team that is never out of a game. We've seen them come back so many times, both on the road and at home. They just keep coming. That's a credit to them and coach [Kevin] Baggett."
 
"Good shooting, a lot of times, is a result of your team's passing and anticipating and knowing when the shot is available for your teammates, and for yourself. The other thing that's a part of that is guys are learning not only what is a good shot for them, but also learning to value the easiest shot. And then knowing those things for their teammates, too. You have to have a feel for those kinds of things. You have to value getting quality shots."
 
"We have really stressed and worked on rebounding and we've been trying to get contributions from everyone in that regard. In the beginning of the year, I said [rebounding] was a point of emphasis for us. It doesn't always look like that, but if you work on it every day and try and get better at it every day, it will show in a game like this."
 
Game Notes
• Sunday was the 51st all-time meeting between the two schools, with Rider holding a 36-15 lead in the series.
• Canisius has now won two straight and three of the last five meetings against the Broncs.
• Including the 94-point effort at UIC Nov. 26, Canisius has now scored 90-or-more points in multiple games in a season for the fifth-straight year.
• Canisius' 52 points in the first half on Sunday are the most for the team since the Griffs put up 54 first-half points at UIC Nov. 26.
• The Griffs' nine 3-point field goals on Sunday are the most for the team since Dec. 23 at Siena.
• Three of Johnson's four career double-doubles have come with 10-plus points and 10-plus assists in the game.
• Senior Corey Brown played in his 100th collegiate game on Sunday, which also includes his three-year career at Northern Arizona.

Up Next
Canisius heads back on the road for two games next weekend, starting at Iona on Friday, Jan. 24. Tip-off in the newly-remodeled Hynes Athletic Center is set for 7 p.m., and that game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. 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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