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Athina Lexa takes a 3-pointer against Niagara
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78
Canisius Canis 4-24,2-17 MAAC
82
Winner Niagara Niag 13-14,10-9 MAAC
Canisius Canis
4-24,2-17 MAAC
78
Final
82
Niagara Niag
13-14,10-9 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Canisius Canis 22 20 19 17 78
Niagara Niag 19 18 22 23 82

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Niagara Outlasts Women's Basketball

Angel Parker and Aaliyah Parker scored 22 and 21 points, respectively, as Niagara outlasted Canisius Saturday evening, 82-78, in MAAC women's basketball action at the Gallagher Center in Lewiston, N.Y.
 
Freshman Athina Lexa scored a game-high 23 points and Dani Haskell chipped in 20 for the Golden Griffins (4-24, 2-17 MAAC). Shaunae Brown added 13 points and Erika Joseph had 10.
 
Along with the Parker sisters' point totals, Ally Haar and Kyra Grimshaw netted 12 points each for the Purple Eagles (13-14, 10-9 MAAC).
 
The contest was a back-and-forth affair that featured five ties and 13 leads changes – eight of which came in the first half.
 
GAME RECAP
In a game that featured numerous scoring runs, Lexa scored Canisius' first eight points over the first 1:54 of the contest. Niagara countered with seven points in a 36-second span, putting the Purple Eagles ahead by four, 12-8.
 
Following a layup by Aaliyah Parker, the Griffs held the Purple Eagles without a field goal for 6:19, utilizing a 12-1 run to take a seven-point lead, 20-13.
 
After back-to-back layups by Niagara's Olivia Mason, an 11-5 Canisius spurt put the Griffs ahead with 4:36 left in the opening half, 36-31.
 
Canisius led 42-37 at halftime, thanks in part of a 9-2 run over a 68-second stretch spanning the second and third quarters, which put the Griffs ahead 49-39.
 
Niagara avenged the deficit with a 12-0 run over the next 2:57 to retake the lead. The Purple Eagles' defensive tenacity forced five Canisius turnovers over the stretch.
 
The Griffs retaliated with a 9-1 scoring spurt to go back up six at 58-52, with 1:59 left in the third quarter before a quick 7-0 scoring run by Niagara put Niagara ahead 59-58. A 3-pointer by Joseph with 15 seconds left gave the Griffs the lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Stout defense and a constant full-court defensive pressure by Niagara forced Canisius to miss its first five shots to open the fourth quarter. Angel Parker hit a 3-pointer that ultimately put the Purple Eagles ahead for good.
 
Canisius tied the game, 76-76, after Lexa went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line with 1:13 left.
 
A layup by Angel Parker gave Niagara a 79-76 lead with 20 seconds left. Haskell missed a 3-pointer but Joseph corralled the offensive rebound, tossing the ball at a Niagara defender, leading to a Canisius inbound pass. Lexa received the inbound from Haskell, converting a layup to make it 79-78 in favor of the Purple Eagles.
 
Niagara split their free throws again and Canisius called its final timeout of the contest. Canisius was not able to get a shot off as there was a held-ball, and the possession arrow favored Niagara. Angel and Aaliyah Parker were both fouled with under five seconds left, which they split their pair of free throws, leading the Purple Eagles to the victory.
 
Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh's Postgame Comments
"It was a heartbreaking loss for us tonight. I know how much our team wanted this one. We had great few days leading up in terms of prep. It comes down to the same issue we've had, which is finishing positions on the defensive end. Credit to Niagara for being as tenacious as they were on the o-boards. Then, again, Niagara's M-O is wreaking chaos and havoc on the defensive end.
 
"We lost our composure a little bit. Overall, it was a hell of a game. It was a lot of fun to coach, I'm sure it was a lot of fun to play, if you were out there. The energy was great. A lot of fun offense, fast-paced, kind of what you would want in a game if you're a fan. Again, I wish the outcome was different. It comes down to one more finished possession. We're going to get back to the drawing board, back to working. We'll be alright.
 
"Our players buy in to us in our messaging as coaches. They're believed in everything we give them. We were well prepared in terms of our mindset and knowing that Niagara was going to make us play fast. We talked over and over again about how we need to play fast but not reckless. For most of the game, we played fast, confident and composed, and it played in our favor. We did a really good job finding the open person and when we move the ball, we're really good. We got rattled to start the start the fourth and that's credit to a veteran team. We're young, they're veteran. That's what veteran teams do and we're just going to grow from it."
 
GAME NOTES
• Saturday was the 100th meeting between the two Western New York rivals. Canisius is now 60-40 all-time against the Purple Eagles with the setback.
• Haskell and Lexa are the first Canisius duo to have score 20-plus points in the same game since D'Jhai Patterson-Ricks (22) and Danielle Sanderlin (20) against Colgate on Nov. 20, 2019.
• Canisius made 12 3-pointers in the contest, marking the eighth time the Griffs reached a double-digit 3-point total this season. The eight games with at least 10 triples made is a new program record, breaking seven such games during the 2008-09 season.
• Canisius has now made 226 shots from beyond the arc this season. The total now ranks as the second-most in program history, trailing the 2008-09 team who made 252 3-pointers.
• Senior Kayla Jackson recorded a career-high 14 rebounds, besting a 12-rebound performance at St. Bonaventure earlier this year. Her rebound total is the most by a Griff since Rhay Porter had 15 against Rider on Jan. 13.
• Jackson's 14 rebounds came in 19:18 of game action. It is the seventh instance this season – and the second time by a Canisius player (Porter vs. Rider) – to have 14-plus rebounds in under 20 minutes played.
• Porter recorded her 12th multi-block performance of the season, which is tied for the seventh-most by a Division I freshman this season with Tulsa's Temira Pondexter.
• Freshman Cheyenne Stubbs recorded her ninth multi-steal performance of the season. It is the most games with two-plus steals by a first-year Canisius player since Kayla Hoohuli (11 in 2011-12).
 
UP NEXT
Canisius concludes the 2021-22 regular season with a meeting against Iona next Saturday (March 5). The contest will serve as the team's Senior Day, where the team's trio of seniors, Ella Väätänen, Kayla Jackson and Erika Joseph will be honored prior to the game. Tip-off is set 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.
 
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