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Canisius University Athletics

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Bryan Ndjonga drives baseline in a home game against Fairfield on Jan. 2, 2026.
Anthony Militello
69
Winner Iona Iona 15-11,7-8 MAAC
63
Canisius Canis 8-18,3-12 MAAC
Winner
Iona Iona
15-11,7-8 MAAC
69
Final
63
Canisius Canis
8-18,3-12 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Iona Iona 34 35 69
Canisius Canis 24 39 63

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Late Surge Not Enough for Men’s Basketball in Loss to Iona

Trailing by as many as 15 points in the early stages of the second half, the Canisius men's basketball team made a run at visiting Iona and eventually tied the game at 59-59 with 2:39 left to play, but the Gaels closed the game's final 1:46 on a 10-4 run to secure a 69-63 victory over the Golden Griffins in MAAC men's basketball action Friday night at the Koessler Athletic Center.
 
The win snapped Iona's three-game losing skid and improved the team to 15-11 overall and 7-8 in conference play, while Canisius fell to 8-18 overall and 3-12 in league action with its 10th consecutive loss.
 
Canisius junior Bryan Ndjonga scored a team-high 17 points in the loss, with 13 of those points coming in the game's second half. Fellow junior Kahlil Singleton added 14 points and five rebounds to the Griffs' effort, while graduate student Myles Wilmoth scored all 11 of his points after halftime. Junior Mike Evbagharu had six points, a team-high eight rebounds and six assists for Canisius, which shot 42.1 percent from the field, 34.6 percent (9-for-26) from 3-point land and 60 percent 6-for-10) from the free-throw line for the game.
 
For Iona, four Gaels posted double-figures in the scoring column, led by Lamin Sabally, who recorded 17 points to go with nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. Kosy Akametu scored 16 points, while Luke Jungers and C.J. Anthony added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Nine of Jungers 12 points came in the game's second half, and seven of those nine points came in the game's final 5:00 of play.
 
Trailing 43-28 with 15:25 left on the clock, Canisius used a 9-0 run over the next 2:10 to trim the Iona lead to six at 43-37. A 3-pointer from the left wing by Toby Harris drove the Iona cushion back to nine at 48-39 with 10:27 remaining, but Canisius answered the bell once again, scoring eight-straight points, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers by Wilmoth, to make it a one-point game at 48-47 with 8:25 left in regulation time.
 
Jungers would get hot in the next stretch of the game to give the Gaels a 59-51 lead with 4:50 showing on the clock, but another 8-0 run by the Blue and Gold, capped by a bucket from Ndjonga off a feed from Evbagharu, knotted the game at 59-59. Canisius, however, was never able to regain the lead down the stretch, as Denver Anglin scored seven of his eight points on the night over the next 1:12 to help seal the victory for Iona.
 
Canisius came out of the gates red-hot, hitting its first five field goals from 3-point land to take an early 17-11 lead just 6:00 into the contest. A 3-point make from the top of the key by sophomore Evan vand der Plas with 10:38 left before halftime had the Griffs up 20-15, but that would be the Blue and Gold's last field goal for the game's next 8:05, a stretch where Iona outscored Canisius 12-0 to take a 27-20 lead with 4:24 remaining before intermission. The Gaels took a 34-24 advantage into the locker room at halftime after the Griffs shot just 28.1 percent from the floor in the opening stanza, with six of the team's nine made field goals coming from 3-point range.


 
GAME NOTES
• Friday was the 88th all-time meeting between Canisius and Iona. The Gaels, who have won 14 of the last 15 games between the two schools, lead the series 54-34.
• Canisius recorded 12 offensive rebounds in the game on Friday, the 14th time this year where the Griffs grabbed 10-or more offensive boards in a game.
• Ndjonga has now scored 10-or more points in six straight and 19 of 26 games this season.
• Singleton returned to the line-up after missing the game at Quinnipiac and knocked down a pair of 3-point field goals, his 16th game this season with multiple 3-point makes.
• Evbagharu matched his career-high with six assists in the losing effort. He has dished out six assists in each of the team's last two contests.
• Wilmoth matched a season best with his three makes from behind the 3-point arc.
• Senior King Ijeoma recorded a game-high three blocked shots to match a season high.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius will close out its weekend homestand on Sunday when the team plays host to Manhattan. Game time at the Koessler Athletic Center is set for 1 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
Tickets for all remaining 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
CLICK HERE to Support the Men's Basketball Excellence Fund

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