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Canisius University Athletics

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Athina Lexa attempts a 3-point shot against Niagara
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57
Canisius Canis 4-22,2-15 MAAC
71
Winner Rider Rider 8-16,6-9 MAAC
Canisius Canis
4-22,2-15 MAAC
57
Final
71
Rider Rider
8-16,6-9 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Canisius Canis 14 13 16 14 57
Rider Rider 20 17 18 16 71

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Rider Upends Women’s Basketball

Four Rider players recorded double-digit point totals as the host Broncs defeated Canisius in MAAC women's basketball action Saturday at Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J., 71-57.
 
The Broncs made 57.7 percent of its shot attempts in the second half (15-of-26), aiding Rider to shoot 51.8 percent for the game (29-of-56).
 
Raphaela Toussaint's 18 points and seven rebounds paced Rider's scoring attack. Makayla Firebaugh added 14 points, while Anna Ekerstedt and Lenaejha Evans chipped in 10 points apiece for the Broncs (8-16, 6-9 MAAC).
 
Freshman Athina Lexa led Canisius with her 17 points. Lexa's classmate, Cheyenne Stubbs, netted 16 points off the bench for the Golden Griffins (4-22, 2-15 MAAC).
 
GAME RECAP
Rider used a 15-5 run after Lexa opened the game's scoring on a driving layup to open an eight-point lead. Canisius responded with a 7-3 spurt to trim the Broncs' lead to four with five seconds left before a pull-up jumper by Amanda Mobley just before the buzzer sounded gave Rider a 20-14 advantage after the first quarter.
 
Another 15-5 Rider scoring run over 6:25 of game action put the hosts ahead 33-19 with 3:40 left in the opening half. Canisius closed out the final 3:16 of the quarter by outscoring the Broncs, 8-4, taking a 37-27 deficit into the locker room.
 
The Broncs scored six of the first nine points of the second half, opening a 13-point lead just past the halfway point of the third quarter.
 
Canisius cut Rider's lead to single-digits, 59-44, after scoring the first six points of the fourth quarter. Rider, however, took control of the remaining 7:40 of the period, going on a 16-5 run to post its largest lead of the contest, 71-54, before an Ella Väätänen 3-pointer with two seconds left closed out the scoring.
 
Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh's Postgame Comments
"Tough game today. I don't think we started the game as mentally focused as we needed to be. We struggled to execute our defensive principles as well as the game plan. I thought we were good in some stretches being aggressive and met with success. To win a game in this conference, a few stretches are not enough. We will get back to Buffalo and back to work.

"Proud of how Chey [Cheyenne Stubbs] stepped up today. She was aggressive and executed what we needed from her, as well as took matters into her own hands when opportunity presented itself."
 
Game Notes
• Saturday was the 50th all-time meeting between Canisius and Rider. The Griffs are now 33-17 all-time against the Broncs, who have won 10 of the last 13 in the series.
• Lexa led Canisius in scoring for the third time in the last four games and the fifth time overall this year.
• Over her last four games, Lexa is now averaging 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest while shooting 45.9 percent from the floor.
• Sophomore Dani Haskell recorded seven rebounds, matching her single-game high for the fourth time in her career.
• Freshman Rhay Porter recorded a pair of blocks in the contest, giving her 37 on the season. Her 37 blocks are the fifth-most by a player in Canisius' Division I era. Porter surpassed Ashley Wilkes, who had 36 rejections in 2012-13.
• Canisius had only six personal fouls in the contest, marking the fewest in a game since committing just five fouls against Saint Peter's on March 7, 2013, at the MAAC Basketball Championships in Albany.
 
Up Next
Canisius' four-game road trip continues when it travels to Siena on Thursday. Tipoff from the UHY Center is scheduled for 7 p.m., with game action broadcast 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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