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Malik Johnson hits a 3-point field goal for his 1,000th career point at Rider in Lawrenceville, N.J. on Feb. 7, 2020
Dave Schofield '71
60
Canisius CAN 9-14,4-8 MAAC
61
Winner Rider RID 13-9,7-5 MAAC
Canisius CAN
9-14,4-8 MAAC
60
Final
61
Rider RID
13-9,7-5 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Canisius CAN 34 26 60
Rider RID 31 30 61

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Late Rider Free-Throws Push Broncs Past Men’s Basketball

Game Recap
Rider guard Willy Nunez Jr., hit three free throws with 5.9 seconds left to play and Canisius' last-second chance to win the game came up empty, as the host Broncs came back to defeat the Golden Griffins 61-60 in MAAC men's basketball action Friday night at Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville, N.J.
 
The win moves Rider to 13-9 overall and 7-5 in MAAC games, while Canisius fell to 9-14 overall and 4-8 in league play with the loss.
 
With the game tied at 58-58, Canisius senior Corey Brown took a pass from fellow senior Malik Johnson and laid the ball over the front of the rim to give the Blue and Gold a 60-58 advantage with 1:01 left to play. The Griffs would remain in the lead until the closing seconds, when Nunez Jr., was fouled in the act of shooting a 3-point field goal with 5.9 seconds left to play. The graduate transfer hit the first two free-throws to knot the game and 60-60, and after a Canisius timeout, the Orlando, Fla., native drilled the third charity toss to give Rider its first lead since the 13:36 mark of the second half.
 
Out of a Rider timeout, Canisius had to move the ball the length of the floor with 5.9 seconds left for a chance to win, but the Broncs knocked the ball away from Canisius at mid-court, and the final horn sounded without Canisius getting off a shot.
 
Canisius built a seven-point lead with a 6-0 run over the span of 2:24 in the later stages of the second half to take a 56-49 lead with 4:02 left in the contest. In that run, Johnson accounted for five of Griffs' six points, highlighted by a 3-point make with 4:14 on the clock. That 3-pointer, his lone3-point make of the night, made the Richmond, Va., native the 39th 1,000-point scorer in program history. Rider would answer with two 3-point makes on its next two possessions to make it a one-point game, but Johnson stopped that run with a mid-range jumper to make the score 58-55 in favor of the Griffs with 2:47 left in the ball game.
 
Johnson scored a team-high 17 points in the loss to go with six rebounds, three steals and two assists in 40 minutes of action. Junior Majesty Brandon came off the bench to score 14 points, eight of which came after halftime, and he also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Freshman Armon Harried chipped in 10 points, five boards and two steals in the losing effort for Canisius, which shot 44.2 percent from the field, 19.2 percent from 3-point land and 69.2 percent from the free-throw line.
 
For Rider, redshirt-junior Dimencio Vaughn scored a game-high 18 points to go along with seven rebounds, while seniors Stevie Jordan and Tyere Marshall were both good for nine points in the win. Rider shot 42.9 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from 3-point range, while hitting on just 6-of-18 free-throws for the game, with three of those makes coming from Nunez Jr., in the game's closing seconds.
 
Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon's Postgame Comments
"We have so many guys that have never been in this type of situation. Tonight was a tough road league game in front of a loud crowd, and I just hope they can grow and take these experiences and get better. We need our guys to increase their awareness and be alert to the things that are crucially important to winning games so that it doesn't have to come down to the last play of the game."
 
"For Malik to score his 1,000th career point tonight, that's certainly a great career accomplishment. I wish this occasion would have come in a win. He has persevered through a lot during his time at Canisius, and he's never once wavered."
 
Game Notes
• Friday was the 52nd all-time meeting between Rider and Canisius. The Broncs lead the series 37-15.
• Friday marked the 18th time in series history where the final score between Rider and Canisius has been decided by five points or less. Rider is 13-5 in those contests.
• Four of the last five games between these two programs have been decided by one point, with each team having earned two wins in that time.
• Canisius out-rebounded Rider 35-34 for the contest.
• Johnson is the first Canisius player from the state of Virginia to score 1,000 points in his career.
• Johnson's three steals on Friday gives him 189 for his career, which moves him past former Griffs guard Rodney Brown for fourth on the program's all-time steals list.
• Brandon has now scored in double-figures in 14 games this season, and he's knocked down multiple 3-point field goals in 12 contests.  

Up Next
Canisius will return to action Wednesday, Feb. 12, when the team travels to play at long-time rival Niagara in Lewiston, N.Y. Game time is set 7 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Canisius' 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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