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Canisius University Athletics

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Dani Haskell dribbles against Robert Morris
Lindy Feider
57
Winner Robert Morris RM 3-3,1-1 Horizon
43
Canisius Canis 2-4,0-0 MAAC
Winner
Robert Morris RM
3-3,1-1 Horizon
57
Final
43
Canisius Canis
2-4,0-0 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Robert Morris RM 13 17 13 14 57
Canisius Canis 8 10 14 11 43

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Robert Morris Bests Women’s Basketball to Close Homestand

Ester Castedo scored 10 of her Robert Morris-best 17 points in the second half, leading the Colonials to a 57-43 victory over Canisius in non-conference women's basketball action at the Koessler Athletic Center Saturday night.
 
Sophomore guard Dani Haskell scored a game-high 18 points and tied her career high for rebounds with seven for Canisius (2-4). Senior forward Kayla Jackson posted her fourth double-digit rebound game of the season, hauling in 11 boards.
 
Mackenzie Amalia had four 3-pointers, chipping in 12 points and Ashya Klopfenstein added 10 for Robert Morris (3-3).
 
GAME RECAP
Canisius and Robert Morris exchanged 3-pointers in the opening two minutes, but a jumper by Simone Morris kick started an 8-0 run for Robert Morris, who never relinquished the lead for the remainder of the game.
 
The 8-0 spurt lasted over 3:22 as Robert Morris held Canisius without a point for over six minutes in the opening quarter, leading to a 13-8 advantage in favor of the Colonials.
 
Robert Morris closed out the final 4:29 of the first half on a 7-0 run behind four free throws from Klopfenstein as the Colonials held the Griffs scoreless over the last five minutes of the half. Castedo hit a 3-pointer with 2:29 left to give the visitors a 30-18 halftime lead.
 
Canisius cut into Robert Morris' lead halfway through the third quarter following a 6-1 run of its own. Haskell scored four points while senior guard Erika Joseph netted a left-handed layup before Robert Morris called a timeout.
 
Robert Morris increased its lead to 11, 43-32, after concluding the final 4:23 on a 10-4 stretch.
 
Canisius was stifled defensively by Robert Morris, who held the Griffs to just 1-of-8 shooting from the field in the fourth quarter. Nine of Canisius' 11 points in the stanza came from the charity stripe. The lone field goal came on a pull-up jumper by freshman Lydia Gattozzi with 6:41 remaining.
 
A 3-pointer by Amalia with 3:31 left gave Robert Morris its largest lead of the contest, 53-36, capping an 8-0 run over 2:26 halfway through the final quarter.
 
The Colonials shot 42.9 percent from the floor (21-for-49) for the game while holding Canisius to just 27.1 percent (13-for-48).
 
Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh's Postgame Comments
"Every day we are getting a little bit better. Coming in, we knew Robert Morris was going to be a tough defensive opponent and we were going to have to be really crisp on the offensive side. Unfortunately, I think the first half we didn't execute what we prepped for. We moved the ball around and we had opportunities. In the first half, we had a lid on the bucket and took the lid off in the third quarter, but I just don't think it was enough. Defensively in that fourth quarter, we kind of fell apart a little bit.

"Dani [Haskell] has done a much better job of not getting too high or too low. She has just been consistent and staying pretty level. When you are level, you are clear-headed. You can make the right read and make the right decisions. She did a lot of that today.
 
"Kayla [Jackson] is a heart kid and that's what rebounding is. You just got to have a will and a lot of heart to get it done. Everybody knows Kayla is undersized. She's going up against people who are two, three inches, sometimes four inches taller and bigger than her. That kid has the heart and the will to get it done. I don't think it takes any skill to do that and that's what we're most proud of as coaches. She's got a lot of heart and grit."
 
Game Notes
• Saturday was the first time Canisius and Robert Morris faced off in women's basketball since 1986-87. The Colonials now lead the all-time series, 2-1. It was the first time the road team was victorious in the three games played between the two schools.
• Haskell eclipsed the 10-point threshold for the fifth time this season and for the eighth time in 11 career collegiate appearances.
• Jackson posted 11 rebounds, her fourth game this season with a double-digit rebounding total, tied for the most such games in the MAAC. She has also registered seven-plus rebounds in each of her last five games.
 
Up Next
Canisius will travel to Pittsburgh to face off against Duquesne on Wednesday. Tipoff from the newly renovated UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse — formerly known as the A.J. Palumbo Center — is scheduled for 4 p.m. Game action can be viewed on ESPN+.
 
For complete coverage of Canisius women's basketball, please follow the Griffs on social media at @GriffsWBB on Instagram and Twitter.
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