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Canisius University Athletics

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Jalanni White slams one home in a game against St. Bonaventure at KeyBank Center Nov. 23, 2019.
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85
Winner Canisius CAN 11-19, 6-13 MAAC
69
Marist MAR 7-22, 6-14 MAAC
Winner
Canisius CAN
11-19, 6-13 MAAC
85
Final
69
Marist MAR
7-22, 6-14 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Canisius CAN 43 42 85
Marist MAR 32 37 69

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Basketball Rolls to 89-65 Win Over Marist

Game Recap
Three Canisius players scored in double-figures, led by junior Majesty Brandon and his game-high 23 points, as the Golden Griffins cruised to an 85-69 road win over Marist Wednesday night at McCann Arena in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
 
The win, which ended the Griffs' two-game slide, moved the Blue and Gold to 11-19 overall and 6-13 in MAAC play. The victory also locked Canisius into the No. 10 seed at next week's Hercules Tires MAAC Men's Basketball Championship in Atlantic City, N.J., where the team will play the tournament's No. 7 seed.
 
Brandon's 23-point night came after he went 9-for-16 from the field and 5-for-6 from 3-point land in 24 minutes of action off the bench. Senior Malik Johnson scored 16 points to go with seven rebounds, five assists and a steal, while freshman Jacco Fritz posted 10 points, eight boards, four assists and a block in the winning effort. For the game, Canisius shot 54.4 percent from the field, 57.1 percent from 3-point land and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line while recording 40 points in the paint and 19 assists on 31-made field goals.
 
For Marist, Jordan Jones scored a team-high 19 points off the bench, one of four Red Foxes to record double-digits in the scoring column. Marist shot 47.3 percent from the field and made 10 3-point field goals in the loss, but the Red Foxes turned the ball over 18 times, which Canisius turned into 20 points at the other end of the floor.
 
Canisius trailed Marist 21-19 with 9:58 left to play in the first half before the Blue and Gold went on a 15-3 run over the game's next 5:46, a run that was fueled by 11 points from Brandon. The Griffs took a 43-32 lead into the locker room at halftime after the Blue and Gold shot 50 percent from the field and 55.6 percent (5-for-9) from behind the 3-point arc in the opening 20 minutes of play.
 
In the second half, Canisius scored the first six points of the frame to push its lead to 17 points at 49-32 with 17:18 left. The Red Foxes were able to chip the Griffs' lead down to six points at 51-45 with 13:43 remining, but Canisius answered the bell with a 7-0 run over the next 54 seconds to take a 58-45 led with 12:36 showing on the clock. In that run, junior Jalanni White scored five points for the Blue and Gold, capped by a one-handed jam from the baseline off the feed from Brandon.
 
Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon's Postgame Comments
"I thought we had some opening possession jitters, but then we found some rhythm and we were able to stay poised and assertive after we got out to a double-digit lead. Aside from that one spell there in the second half, we were able to keep them on their heels."
 
"We have spent a lot of time talking about playing with poise and understanding different situations that you experience in a game. We've talked a lot about when you get out to a lead, and the other team takes a timeout, we need to have a heightened alert to go get a stop or get a score and keep that team on their heels a little bit. I thought tonight our guys were locked in from the start and they played with controlled excitement and that allowed us to get away from them."
 
"I thought our guys did a really good job tonight of not getting too high and not getting too low at any point of the game. Our defensive effort and energy helped us get the lead, and our offensive execution helped us build and then sustain it, which is good to see."  
 
Game Notes
• This was the 53rd meeting between these two programs, with Canisius leading the all-time series 33-19.
• The Griffs have taken eight of the last 10 games from the Red Foxes, including the both meetings this year.
• The 43 first-half points for Canisius on Wednesday stand as the team's best 20-minute scoring effort since the second half of the team's win over Rider at home Jan. 19.
• Brandon has scored in double-figures in 10-straight games, with seven of those occasions coming off the bench.
• Junior Scott Hitchon came off the bench and was credited with five assists, which matches a career best.
• Senior Corey Brown was good for eight points and six rebounds in the win. In the team's last five games, he's averaging 7.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
• Johnson's seven rebounds gives him five-or more boards in 19 games this season.

Up Next
Canisius will close out the regular season at home on Friday, when the Griffs play host to long-time rival Niagara at the Koessler Athletic Center. The 187th meeting in Western New York's best collegiate rivalry is slated for a 7 p.m., and prior to the game, Canisius will honor its graduating Class of 2020. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with the Canisius radio call 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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