Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Canisius University Athletics

#Griffs The Official Home of the Canisius University Golden Griffins | #Griffs
Ella Väätänen looks to make a layup against Buffalo
www.tomwolf.smugmug.com
46
Canisius Canis 2-7,0-0 MAAC
65
Winner Albany (NY) ANY 5-4,0-0 America East
Canisius Canis
2-7,0-0 MAAC
46
Final
65
Albany (NY) ANY
5-4,0-0 America East
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Canisius Canis 8 14 18 6 46
Albany (NY) ANY 10 19 22 14 65

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Basketball Falls to Empire State Rival UAlbany

UAlbany scored 44 of its 65 points in the paint and shot 45.2 percent from the floor, aiding the Great Danes to a 65-46 victory over Canisius in non-conference women's basketball from the SEFCU Arena in Albany on Wednesday evening.
 
Sophomore guard Dani Haskell had 11 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Senior guard Erika Joseph added 10 points with three assists for Canisius (2-7).
 
Kayla Cooper scored a game-high 15 points off the bench for UAlbany (5-4) to go along with five rebounds. Freja Werth and Lucia DeCortes chipped in with 11 points each.
 
GAME RECAP
Canisius stymied UAlbany's offense in the first quarter, limiting the Great Danes to make just three of its 15 shot attempts. Despite struggling offensively, UAlbany's defense stood strong by holding Canisius scoreless over the final 5:01 of the quarter.
 
Morgan Haney hit a step-back buzzer-beater to give the Great Danes a 10-8 advantage through the opening 10 minutes.
 
The Griffs opened the next quarter scoring six of the first eight points, taking a 14-12 lead. UAlbany countered Canisius' run with eight straight points of their own — six of which came off layups — to regain the lead, 19-14.
 
Canisius trimmed the deficit to 21-19 following a three-point play by Haskell, but UAlbany closed out the quarter on an 8-3 run, taking a 29-22 lead into the locker room.
 
Both teams shot 50 percent or better in the second quarter as the Great Danes shot 60 percent (9-for-15) and the Griffs converted on six of their 12 shots.
 
UAlbany's hot shooting continued into the second half as the Great Danes went 10-of-17 in the third quarter. The Great Danes went on an 10-2 run over a 2:11 span to extend its lead to the largest of the contest, 49-32.
 
Full-court pressure was employed by the Griffs leading to an 8-0 run late in the third quarter, trimming the Great Danes lead to single digits at 49-40. UAlbany's Lilly Phillips added a driving layup prior to the buzzer sounding, giving the Great Danes an 11-point lead heading into the final quarter.
 
UAlbany outscored Canisius in the final quarter, 14-6, to close out the contest.
 
Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh's Postgame Comments
"We struggled offensively and turned the ball over way too many times in the first half and I don't think we ever settled back into a rhythm. Props to Albany and their game plan. We had a hunch that they would press on makes and we worked on it, but our composure just wasn't there in the first half.
 
"Clean slate, it's 0-0. Our girls are really excited about [MAAC play]. We are not concerned about our non-conference record, we are concerned about the growth in us getting better every single day and I think the believing is there. There is a lot of confidence in our girls for MAAC play. Personally, as a coach, I'm ready to go, it's on to the next quarter."
 
Game Notes
• Wednesday was the eighth all-time meeting between the two Empire State schools. UAlbany evened the series at 4-4 with the victory.
• The Griffs made all three of its free throw attempts in the contest, which is the fewest free throw attempts in a game since recording two on March 2, 2019 against Manhattan.
• Graduate student Ella Väätänen's eight-point performance is her highest scoring output in a Canisius uniform and the most in a game since a nine-point performance with LIU against Sacred Heart on Feb. 18, 2019.
• Freshman guard Cheyenne Stubbs recorded her first career multi-steal performance Wednesday, finishing with a pair of steals.
 
Up Next
Canisius opens MAAC play on Sunday at the Koessler Athletic Center when the Golden Griffins host Saint Peter's. Tipoff between the Peacocks and Griffs is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
For complete coverage of Canisius women's basketball, please follow the Griffs on social media at @GriffsWBB on Instagram and Twitter.
 
Print Friendly Version