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Canisius University Athletics

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Mike Evbagharu looks to move the ball in a home game against Sacred Heart at home on Jan. 4, 2026.
Anthony Militello
56
Canisius Canis 8-16,3-10 MAAC
65
Winner Niagara Niag 6-17,3-10 MAAC
Canisius Canis
8-16,3-10 MAAC
56
Final
65
Niagara Niag
6-17,3-10 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Canisius Canis 33 23 56
Niagara Niag 38 27 65

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Niagara Pulls Away from Men’s Basketball

With the game tied 45-45 midway through the second half, Niagara used a 16-0 run over 6:49 to pull away and defeat Canisius 65-56 in MAAC men's basketball action Tuesday night at the Gallagher Center in Lewiston, N.Y.
 
The win snapped Niagara's five-game losing streak and improved the Purple Eagles to 6-17 overall and 3-10 in conference play, while the Golden Griffins fell to 8-16 overall and 3-10 in league games with their eighth-straight loss.
 
Canisius, which trailed by as many as 18 points midway through the first half, battled back and eventually tied the game at 45-45 with 11:05 left in the contest after junior Mike Evbagharu scored a lay-up off a pass from graduate student Myles Wilmoth. That bucket would be the Griffs' final field goal for the game's next 9:12, and in that scoreless drought, Niagara took advantage with the 16-0 run, with 12 of those 16 points coming from Justin Hawkins and Vice Zanki.
 
Canisius junior Bryan Ndjonga scored a game-high 23 points in the losing effort to go with a game-high eight rebounds and a pair of assists. Evbagharu and Wilmoth each had nine points for the Griffs and freshman Brendan Oliver came off the bench and chipped in seven points. For the game, Canisius shot 42.3 percent from the field, made 5-of-23 from 3-point land and connected on 7-of-8 tries from the free-throw line.
 
For Niagara, Zanki scored a team-high 14 points, with 12 of those coming on the power of four makes from behind the 3-point line. Josiah Sabino added 13 points and eight boards off the bench, while Hawkins and Will Shortt scored 11 and 10 points, respectively. For the game, Niagara shot 55.6 percent from the field, 38.1 percent (8-for-21) from 3-point land and knocked down 7-of-9 from the free-throw stripe. The Purple Eagles out-rebounded the Griffs by a 31-22 clip for the contest.


 
GAME NOTES
• Tuesday was the 197th meeting in program history in a series that dates back to 1904-05. Niagara leads the series 111-86.
• Canisius has now dropped seven straight at the Gallagher Center, dating back to 2018-19.
• Ndjonga's 23-point performance on Tuesday is his fourth of the season. All four of those games have come in league play.
• Evbagharu grabbed six rebounds in the loss. He has recorded five-or more rebounds 18 times this season, and 50 times in his collegiate career.
• Junior Kahlil Singleton's 3-point make in the game's first half gives him a team-high 70 for the season. He is the 11th player in program history to make 70-or more 3-pointers in a season.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius will close out its four-game stretch in seven days on Thursday night, when the team travels to play at Quinnipiac in Hamden, Conn. Game time is set for 7 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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