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Canisius University Athletics

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Jasman Sangha drives to the basket in a home game against Brown on Nov. 23, 2024.
Anthony Militello
84
Winner Maine Maine 8-5,0-0 America East
79
Canisius Canis 0-11,0-2 MAAC
Winner
Maine Maine
8-5,0-0 America East
84
Final
79
Canisius Canis
0-11,0-2 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Maine Maine 44 40 84
Canisius Canis 35 44 79

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Maine Outlasts Men’s Basketball

Maine's Quion Burns scored 12 of his team-high 17 points in the game's second half to help lead the visiting Black Bears to an 84-79 victory over Canisius in non-league men's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Koessler Athletic Center.
 
Burns was one of four Maine players to record double-figures in the scoring column, as the Black Bears improved to 8-5 on the season with their second-straight win. Canisius fell to 0-11 with the loss.
 
Canisius graduate student Jasman Sangha scored a career-high 26 points for the Golden Griffins, who shot a season-high 53.7 percent from the field, made 9-of-21 shots from 3-point land and went 12-for-14 from the free-throw line. Junior Paul McMillan IV recorded his seventh game of 20-or more points on the year with his 22-point effort, and he also matched a career-high with six assists. As a team, Canisius had 16 assists on 29-made field goals and committed just seven turnovers in the losing effort.
 
Burns ended the day by adding a team-high seven rebounds to his final state line, as the Black Bears shot 62.3 percent from the field, 43.8 percent (7-for-16) from behind the arc and 68.8 percent (11-for-16) from the free-throw line. Maine ended the game by out-rebounding Canisius 27-19, and the Black Bears were credited with 21 assists on 33 makes from the floor in the victory.
 
A 3-pointer by Sangha with 11:40 left in the first half put the Griffs ahead 19-17. That lead was short-lived, however, as the Black Bears took control of the contest with a 21-4 run over the game's next 6:52 to take a 38-23 lead with less than 5:00 left before halftime. In that run, AJ Lopez scored seven points for Maine, five straight to start the spurt and then two more to cap the run, with 4:34 remaining in the opening stanza. Maine shot 62.1 percent from the field and made six 3-point field goals in the first half to take a 44-35 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
A 3-pointer from Sangha with 16:43 left to play started a 16-6 run by the Griffs over the game's next 4:38 that turned a 12-point Maine lead into a two-point advantage at 57-55 with 12:05 left in the contest. In that scoring surge, 13 of Canisius' points came from Sangha and McMillan IV. Maine responded with the game's next five points to make the score 62-55 with 11:02 remaining, but another bucket by Sangha with 8:15 left on the clock cut Maine's hold to 68-65. That would be as close as the Griffs would get the rest of the way, however, as Maine pulled away with a 6-0 run over the next 2:22 to drive its cushion back to nine points at 74-65 with 4:38 remaining.
 
Canisius senior Tana Kopa added 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals to the team's final stat line, while freshman Evan van der Plas came off the bench and scored a season-high eight points for the Blue and Gold.
 
HEAD COACH JIM CHRISTIAN'S POSTGAME COMMENTS
   
GAME NOTES
• Saturday was the 20th all-time meeting between the two schools in a series that dates back to the 1977-78 season. Canisius leads the series 14-6.
• The win by Maine ended the Griffs' four-game win streak in the series, a win streak that dated back to Feb. 2, 1989. Maine's win at the Koessler Athletic Center on Saturday was the program's first since Jan. 16, 1988.
• The 16 assists for Canisius on Saturday matched the team's season high. The Griffs also had 16 assists in the home loss to Brown Nov. 23.
• Canisius' 85.7 percent success rate from the free-throw line marked the eighth time this season the Blue and Gold have shot 75 percent or better from the charity stripe.
• Seventeen of Sangha's 26 points came in the game's second half, and he ended the contest with a career-high three steals.
• Sangha has scored in double-figures in three-straight games. This marks the first time since Nov. 6-14, 2023 where the Brampton, Ontario native had 10-or more points scored in three consecutive contests.
• McMillan IV has more games with 20-plus points (seven) than any other player in the MAAC.
• Kopa hit four 3-pointers in the contest, the 57th time in his college career that he has made multiple 3-point field goals in a game.
• Canisius used its seventh different starting line-up this season.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius will close out the 2024 calendar year on the road with a pair of non-league games, starting Dec. 18, at Loyola Chicago. Tip-off between the Griffs and the Ramblers is set for 8 p.m. (Eastern time), and the game will be broadcast live on Marquee Sports Network and ESPN+. The Griffs' radio call will be available through the Golden Griffin Broadcast Network on GoGriffs.com and the Varsity Network APP.
 
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