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Kahlil Singleton drives to the hoops in the first half of a home game against Fairfield on Jan. 2, 2026.
Anthony Militello
81
Fairfield Fairf 8-7,0-4 MAAC
85
Winner Canisius Canis 6-8,1-2 MAAC
Fairfield Fairf
8-7,0-4 MAAC
81
Final
85
Canisius Canis
6-8,1-2 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Fairfield Fairf 37 44 81
Canisius Canis 39 46 85

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Basketball Fires Past Fairfield for First MAAC Win

Canisius junior Kahlil Singleton scored a career-high 37 points and graduate student Myles Wilmoth recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds as the Golden Griffins scored an 85-81 win over Fairfield in MAAC men's basketball action Friday afternoon at the Koessler Athletic Center.
 
The win, which snapped Canisius' two-game losing skid, improved the Blue and Gold to 6-8 overall and 1-2 in MAAC play, while Fairfield fell to 8-7 overall and 0-4 in conference action.
 
Singleton's 37 points came after he went 11-for-16 from the field, with nine of those makes coming from 3-point land. The Vancouver, Wash., native scored 28 first-half points after he went 8-for-9 from long range in the game's opening 20:00 of play. Wilmoth added three assists and two blocks to his first double-double performance, while junior Bryan Ndjonga finished the night with 18 points, five boards, three assists and a steal. For the game, Canisius shot 43.9 percent from the field, with 15 of the team's 25 made field goals coming from behind the 3-point arc. The Griffs also made 20-of-27 chances from the free-throw line in the win, with 16 of those makes coming in the game's second half.
 
Fairfield's Declan Wucherpfenning led the way for the Stags with 20 points while Brandon Benjamin added 19 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. For the game, Fairfield shot 42.4 percent from the floor, 34.8 percent from 3-point range and 73.9 percent from the free-throw line. The Stags out-rebounded Canisius, 42-35, with 17 of those rebounds coming off the offensive glass.
 
Singleton made five 3-pointers in the game's first 4:00 to give Canisius an early 17-7 lead, forcing Fairfield to take a 30-second timeout. Out of that timeout, the Stags used an 11-3 run over the game's next 4:16 to knot the game at 18-18. Canisius battled back and led by as many as seven points midway through the first half as the Blue and Gold went into the locker room up 39-37 at the break.
 
With 4:11 left in the game, Canisius stretched its lead to a dozen at 71-59 after Wilmoth drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key. The Griffs' lead ballooned to as many as 14 points with 1:50 left on the clock, but Fairfield made one last surge, staging a furious rally late to get within three points after Braden Sparks finalized a four-point play to trim the Canisius lead to 84-81 with 5.4 seconds remaining. On the ensuing in-bounds pass, Fairfield fouled junior Anthony Benard, who made a free-throw to seal the win for the home team.


 
GAME NOTES
• Friday marked the 99th all-time meeting between Canisius and Fairfield. The Stags lead the series 56-43.
• The win improved Canisius to 5-1 at home this season. This is the Griffs' best record through the first six home dates on the schedule since the 2017-18 edition of the Blue and Gold also started the home slate with a 5-1 record.
• The victory also ended the Griffs' seven-game home losing streak to MAAC opponents.
• Canisius had 22 assists on 25-made baskets in the win.
• After turning the ball over a season-high 21 times in the loss at Duquesne Dec. 21, Canisius had just six turnovers on Friday.
• Singleton's 28 points in the first half mark the first time a Canisius player has scored 20 or more points in a half since former Griff Siem Uijtendaal scored 24 points in the first half against Fredonia on Nov. 20, 2022.
• Wilmoth's double-double came in his 101st career collegiate game.
• Ndjonga has scored 10-or more points in all six of the Griffs' wins this season.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius will close out its first weekend of home MAAC games on Sunday when the Griffs play host to Sacred Heart at the Koessler Athletic Center. Game time is set for noon, 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.
 
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CLICK HERE to Support the Men's Basketball Excellence Fund

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