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Dylan Godfrey drives to the basket looking to score in a home game against Niagara on Jan. 31, 2025.
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64
Winner Niagara Niag 8-13,3-7 MAAC
63
Canisius Canis 2-19,2-8 MAAC
Winner
Niagara Niag
8-13,3-7 MAAC
64
Final
63
Canisius Canis
2-19,2-8 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Niagara Niag 26 38 64
Canisius Canis 33 30 63

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Late Surge Pushes Niagara Past Men’s Basketball

Niagara senior guard Jaeden Marshall scored 13 of his team-high 18 points in the game's second half to help lead the visiting Purple Eagles to a 64-63 win over Canisius in MAAC men's basketball action Friday night at the Koessler Athletic Center.
 
The Golden Griffins (2-19, 2-8 MAAC) had a chance to win the game at the buzzer, but junior Paul McMillan IV's contested lay-up as the final horn sounded bounced off the side rim, allowing Niagara to end a five-game losing skid and improve its record to 8-13 overall and 3-7 in league play.
 
Marshall was one of three Niagara players to record double-figures in the winning effort, as he ended the night by shooting 6-for-10 from the field, 1-for-5 from 3-point land and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. Jahari Williamson chipped in 16 points to the winning cause and Justice Smith came off the bench to post 12 points, as the Purple Eagles shot 51.1 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent (6-for-18) from 3-point land and 66.7 percent from the charity stripe for the contest. All three of those players came off the bench for Niagara on Friday, as the Purple Eagles' reserves accounted for 50 of the team's 64 points in the victory.
 
McMillan IV, the MAAC's leading scorer, posted a game-high 27 points in the loss for the Blue and Gold, his league-leading 13th game this season with 20-or more points scored. Sophomore Dylan Godfrey added 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot on the night for Canisius, which ended the game by shooting 54.5 percent from the field, 50 percent (6-for-12) from 3-point land and 52.9 percent (9-for-17) from the free-throw line.
 
Canisius led Niagara 33-26 at halftime after the Blue and Gold shot 52.0 percent from the floor in the game's opening 20 minutes, with five of the team's 13 makes from the field coming from 3-point land. Midway through the second half, a driving bucket by McMillan IV put the Griffs up eight at 47-39 with 11:23 left to play, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Wiliamson cut the Griffs' cushion to just two at 47-45 with 8:29 remaining.
 
A 3-pointer by Olumide Adelodun with 4:55 left in the contest put Niagara up 55-53, the Purple Eagles' first lead of the game. Niagara stretched its hold to five points 1:54 later after Williamson drained three-straight free-throws to give the visiting team a 58-53 advantage with 3:01 left in the contest. Canisius trailed by four points late at 64-60 before McMillan IV made it a one-point game at 64-63 with 41.6 seconds remaining after he knocked down a 3-pointer from just in front of the Griffs' bench.
 
Canisius had a chance to take the lead late with less than 10 seconds remaining after the Griffs got a defensive stop, but the Blue and Gold could not score. Forced to foul Niagara to stop the clock, Purple Eagles guard Justin Page missed both free-throws with 6.3 seconds remaining, setting up McMillan IV's race down the floor and eventual miss as the final horn sounded.
 
HEAD COACH JIM CHRISTIAN'S POSTGAME COMMENTS
   
GAME NOTES
• Friday was the 194th all-time meeting between Canisius and Niagara. The Purple Eagles lead the series, 108-86.
• Friday marked the 79th time in series history where the final score was decided by five points or less. Niagara leads that portion of the series, 45-34.
• Friday was the first one-point game in this series since Jan. 27, 2013, when Niagara defeated Canisius 66-65 in the Koessler Athletic Center.
• McMillan IV is the first Griff to score 20-or more points in 13 games since Billy Baron did it 26 times in 2013-14.
• Godfrey has now scored in double-figures in seven games this season, with four of those occasions coming against MAAC opponents.
• Sophomore Anthony Benard recorded a career-high five steals in the losing effort.
• Junior Gianni Thompson came off the bench and scored eight of the Griffs' 11 bench points in the loss.
• Canisius was without the services of graduate student Jasman Sangha on Friday. Sangha is listed as day-to-day with a foot injury.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius will return to the road to start a three-game road swing next Thursday, Feb. 6, when the team travels to play at Quinnipiac. Game time in Hamden, Conn., is set for 7 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast live on 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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