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Canisius University Athletics

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Xzavier Long finishes a two-handed jam against Manhattan at the Koessler Athletic Center Feb. 6, 2022.
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70
Manhattan MC 11-9,4-7 MAAC
77
Winner Canisius Canis 8-16,4-9 MAAC
Manhattan MC
11-9,4-7 MAAC
70
Final
77
Canisius Canis
8-16,4-9 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Manhattan MC 34 36 70
Canisius Canis 38 39 77

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Spirited Team Effort Leads Men’s Basketball Over Manhattan

Nine of the 10 Canisius players that stepped on the floor scored at least two points, led by senior Jordan Henderson who had a team-high 19, as the host Golden Griffins ended a four-game slide with a 77-70 victory over Manhattan Sunday afternoon in MAAC men's basketball action at the Koessler Athletic Center.
 
Henderson's 19 points came after 6-for-13 from the floor, 3-for-8 from 3-point land and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line to go along with a team-high four assists and two steals. Junior Armon Harried posted double-figures in the scoring column for the fifth-straight game with 17 points and freshman Xzavier Long added 16 points to the winning cause as the Griffs moved to 8-16 overall and 4-9 in league play with the win.
 
Manhattan had four players score in double-figures, led by senior guard Jose Perez. The MAAC's leading scorer tallied 22 points in the losing effort for the Jaspers, who have now dropped two straight and five of their last seven games. Manhattan's record fell to 11-9 overall and 4-7 in MAAC games with the loss.
 
GAME RECAP
After the contest started with both teams trading baskets, Manhattan took a 21-14 lead with 7:55 left before halftime on the power of a 6-0 run over the span of 3:40. The Griffs pushed right back, and a lay-up by Long with 4:07 left in the opening frame tied the score at 25-25.
 
Moments later, Manhattan took its final lead of the day at 27-25 before the Griffs went on a 13-3 run over the next 2:25 to make the score 38-30 in favor of the home team. That scoring run was fueled by Long and Harried, who combined to score all 13 of Canisius' points, highlighted by back-to-back 3-point field goals by Harried and a traditional three-point play by Long with 51 seconds remaining in the opening stanza. The Griffs took a 38-34 lead into the locker room at intermission after the Blue and Gold shot 45.2 percent from the field, with five of the 14 made field goals coming from 3-point land.
 
In the second half, a 3-pointer by Henderson from the left wing just 5:39 into the frame pushed the Griffs' lead to 10 points at 53-43. Manhattan got within four points a 57-53 with 8:53 remaining in the contest, but the Griffs once again answered the bell with a 6-0 run of their own to push the cushion back to 10 at 65-53 with 5:31 showing on the clock. Canisius' lead bounced to as many as a dozen after Long hit a pair of free-throws with 3:43 left on the clock to put the Blue and Gold up 67-55, and the Griffs were able to seal the victory by going 8-for10 from the free-throw line in the closing 2:00 of game time.
 
Henderson's 19-point effort matched a season high, as he also scored 19 points in the team's home win over FGCU back on Dec. 22. Long's 16 points are the most for the freshman in a MAAC game this season, and he also grabbed four rebounds to go with three assists and two steals. Senior Malek Green added nine points and four rebounds to the winning cause, while fellow senior Ahamadou Fofana chipped in eight points, six boards, three assists and two steals. For the game, Canisius shot 42.9 percent from the field, made 8-of-25 tries from 3-point land and hit 21-of-26 free-throws. Canisius also out-rebounded Manhattan by a 36-27 clip, with a season-high 16 of those rebounds coming off the offensive glass.
 
Romar Reid and Josh Roberts each had 13 points for Manhattan, which shot 46.0 percent from the field in the losing effort. Elijah Buchanan had 10 points and a game-high four steals for the Jaspers, who turned 15 Canisius turnovers into 17 points.
 
Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon's Postgame Comments
"That's just two teams battling out there today. I am proud of the effort our guys gave and I am proud of their composure for the entire game. I thought we got good contributions from everybody and that was really good to see."
 
"We had a talk yesterday, and I wanted our guys to feel as much spirit as possible. That's what they asked for, that's what they deserve. So, yeah, I was more animated at times today. This is a game of emotion. But it has to be properly channeled. I certainly thought we played with a lot of spirit and emotion today."
 
"I think that run in the first half was good because we didn't wait until the second half to try and do it. We started off a little foggy, but we battled to get even. Then we didn't wait until the second half, we got that run in the first half and we had another run in the second half. Our goal is to get to that point where we are putting runs together with sustained quality play. I thought we did that a few times today."
 
"All year, we have been battling to get better, and offensive rebounding has certainly been an area we have talked a lot about. Credit to these guys today, they went for every rebound. There were times where we couldn't get the rebound clean, and Manhattan plays hard, Steve [Masiello] always has his guys playing hard, but we were able to tip it out and then we grabbed it. Those extra possessions mean so much. And then when the ball and can move after that and get them into a scramble situation where we can attack the glass again, it starts to have a real effect on your opponent. I'm just thrilled with how hard our guys played today to get those rebounds."
 
"At the end there, I just think that's two MAAC teams fighting hard to win, and it just spilled a little bit over. But when you're playing that hard, emotions get in there, too. It was nothing other than words. It was a hard-fought game and I think both teams were ready to go play another five minutes, to be honest. As a coach, you push your guys to play as hard as possible. Both coaches were doing that today. We always say, you can't flip a switch. You just can't turn it on and turn it off. This time, the game ended, and both teams were still ready to compete. Those things happen. I think both staffs did a good job keeping guys away from one another."
 
GAME NOTES
• Sunday was the 97th all-time meeting between the two schools. Manhattan leads the series 57-40.
• The Griffs have won five of their last six games at home, dating back to Dec. 18.
• The 17 assists for Canisius on 24-made baskets are a season-high for the Blue and Gold in a MAAC game.
• The Griffs have made eight-or more 3-pointers in seven different MAAC games this season.
• After going 25-for-51 (49.0 percent) from the free-throw line in the three previous games, the Griffs 80.8 percent success rate at the line on Sunday was the best for the team since Jan. 11 against Quinnipiac when the squad shot 81.3 percent as a team from the charity stripe in a home victory.
• Henderson's three 3-pointers in the win on Sunday gives him 123 for his career, which moves him into 13th place all-time on the school's career 3-point field goals made list.
• Harried is averaging a team-best 15.2 points per game in the team's last five contests.
• Six of Long's 16 points came from the free-throw line on Sunday. In two games against Manhattan this season, he knocked down 13 free-throws against the Jaspers.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius will return to the road next weekend for a pair of MAAC games, starting at Marist on Saturday, Feb. 12. Game time at the McCann Arena in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., is set for 7 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
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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