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Canisius University Athletics

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Bryan Ndjonga looks to make a pass against Allegheny in the first half of a home game on Nov. 6, 2025.
Oliveri Photos
57
UMES UMES 2-5,0-0 MEAC
60
Winner Canisius Canis 3-3,0-0 MAAC
UMES UMES
2-5,0-0 MEAC
57
Final
60
Canisius Canis
3-3,0-0 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UMES UMES 20 37 57
Canisius Canis 26 34 60

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Late Three Lifts Men’s Basketball to Win Over UMES

Junior Bryan Ndjonga's 3-point field goal with 4.4 seconds left to play in regulation time proved to be the difference, as the Canisius Golden Griffins scored a 60-57 victory over UMES in the first game of the Queen City Classic at the Koessler Center in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday night.
 
With the game tied at 57-57, UMES (2-5) turned the ball over with 31.0 seconds left to play, where Canisius (3-3) took its final timeout. Out of the timeout, junior Anthony Benard worked the clock down at the top of the 3-point line and then passed off to Ndjonga, who proceeded to jab step and then knock down his third 3-pointer of the night with 4.4 seconds left to give the Blue and Gold the three-point advantage. UMES had a chance to tie the game and send it to overtime, but Trey Brown's 3-point attempt as the final horn sounded bounced off the front of the rim, allowing Canisius to secure its third victory of the season.
   
Ndjonga led Canisius with 14 points after he went 5-for-11 from the field, 3-for-4 from 3-point land and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line on the night. He also grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists. Graduate student Myles Wilmoth added nine points and six boards to the winning cause, while Benard and graduate student Max Jusianiec each came off the bench to score eight points for the Griffs. Benard also dished out five assists in the victory, as Canisius closed the contest with a season-high 11 3-point field goal makes, against just 10 traditional two-point field goals.
 
For UMES, Joseph Lacandro scored a game-high 18 points in the loss for the Hawks, and he also pulled down seven boards. Justin Monden came off the bench to chip in 10 points and Christopher Flippin added seven points and eight rebounds in 11:09 off the bench.
 
Neither team shot the ball particularly well in the first half, but the Griffs took a 26-20 lead into the locker room at halftime thanks to five makes from behind the arc in the game's opening 20 minutes of play. A jumper by Ndjonga with 3:43 left in the game put Canisius up five at 53-48, but the Hawks raced back and eventually took a two-point lead thanks to a 9-2 run over the span of 1:22, thanks to three 3-pointers from Locandro, Monden and then Brown.
 
After Brown's 3-point field goal put UMES up 57-55 with 1:16 remaining, Canisius used its full timeout, and out of that stoppage, the Griffs knotted the game at 57-57 thanks to a back-door lay-up by junior Kahlil Singleton off a pass from Ndjonga.
   
GAME NOTES
• Friday was the first meeting between Canisius and UMES.
• UMES was the 72nd different NCAA Division I school to play a men's basketball game at the Koessler Athletic Center.
• This is the first time Canisius has hosted the Queen City Classic since the 1973-74 season.
• The Griffs finished the night with 13 assists on 21-made field goals.
• After turning the ball over a season-high 21 times at High Point on Monday, Canisius matched a season low with just 11 turnovers in the victory.
• Ndjonga's three makes from 3-point land matched his career high. He had three 3-point field goals in two different games during the 2023-24 season, most recently at CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 15, 2024.
• Junior Mike Evbagharu grabbed a team-high eight rebounds in the win. That stands as the most rebounds for a Canisius player this season.
• Sophomore Evan van der Plas was credited with a career-high two blocked shots in the victory.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius will continue its three-game homestand on Sunday when the Griffs play host to Binghamton in the final game of the Queen City Classic. Game time is set for 1 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
Tickets for all Canisius home men's basketball games can be purchased online by CLICKING HERE. Tickets can also be purchased by phone by calling (716) 888-TIXX or in person at the Canisius ticket office, located in the Koessler Athletic Center lobby, during normal business hours and 90 minutes before tip-off on game day.
 
SUPPORT THE GRIFFS
Support the Canisius men's basketball teams in conjunction with the "More Than A Game" campaign. Your donation to the basketball program helps our student-athletes continue to be champions in the community, in the classroom and in competition. To donate, CLICK HERE.

CLICK HERE to Support the Men's Basketball Excellence Fund
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