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Sisi Eleko shoots a 3-pointer against Saint Peter's on Jan. 11, 2024
Max Sacco
59
Winner Canisius Canis 9-5,4-1 MAAC
44
Saint Peter's SP 4-10,1-4 MAAC
Winner
Canisius Canis
9-5,4-1 MAAC
59
Final
44
Saint Peter's SP
4-10,1-4 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Canisius Canis 21 22 5 11 59
Saint Peter's SP 12 10 16 6 44

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women's Basketball Defeats Saint Peter's in Wire-to-Wire Fashion

Behind 24 points from sophomore Sisi Eleko and a season-high 14 from graduate student Bri Rozzi, the Canisius women's basketball team defeated Saint Peter's in wire-to-wire fashion, 59-44, in MAAC women's basketball action Thursday night at Run Baby Run Arena in Jersey City, N.J.
 
Canisius improved to 9-5 overall and 4-1 in MAAC play for the first time since the 2008-09 season with the win. Saint Peter's fell to 4-10 overall and 1-4 in league action with its third-straight loss.
 
Along with Eleko and Rozzi, senior Mackenzie Amalia chipped in 10 points and four assists. Rozzi led the Griffs with a game-high five assists. On the glass, Eleko netted seven boards and graduate student Grace Heeps added five boards of her own. 
 
Jada Leonard and Rachel Kuhl each had 12 points for the Peacocks, who shot 34.1 percent from the field and turned the ball over 18 times in the losing effort.. 
 
The Griffs struck first, racing out to an early 13-4 lead in the opening 5:35 of the game thanks to eight points from Eleko. The Peacocks answered with their own 8-2 run, but a pair of late 3-pointers courtesy of graduate student Tihanna Fulton and Eleko, sent the Griffs into the second quarter up 21-12.
 
The Griffs hot streak carried over into the second stanza, as they began the frame with a 10-2 run, paced by 4-of-5 shooting from the floor, to extend their lead to 17 points at 31-14. After a quick push back from the Peacocks with 6:42 left in the half, the Blue and Gold responded with a 12-5 run to close the half and head into the locker room ahead by a season-high 21 points at 43-22.
 
Saint Peter's outscored Canisius 16-5 in the third quarter to trim the Griffs' cushion to 10 points at 48-38 after three quarters of play.
 
The Canisius defense stepped up in the final frame, holding the Peacocks to 1-of-5 shooting from the floor to preserve the Canisius lead, this time at 51-40, with 4:46 to play.  
Out of the final media timeout, Canisius made five free-throws and held the Peacocks to just one field goal in the game's closing 4:16 to secure the victory.
 
POSTGAME COMMENTS:  
GAME NOTES:
• Thursday marked the 75th all-time meeting between the two MAAC foes. Canisius still leads the all-time series 39-36 and is now 16-21 on the road against the Peacocks.
• Canisius has won consecutive games in Jersey City, N.J., for the first time since a stretch of six road wins from Feb. 20, 2014 through Jan. 12, 2019.
• Canisius won in wire-to-wire fashion for the first time this season and first instance since Dec. 7, 2022 when they defeated Little Three rival St. Bonaventure at home, 85-47.
• The Griffs' 43 first-half points are the most points in a half for Canisius this season. This is the first time the Griffs scored 40-or-more in the first half this season as well.
• Eleko's 13 first-quarter points are the most points in a quarter for a Canisius player this season.
• Eleko scored 20-or-more points for the fourth time this season and second time in three games.

UP NEXT:
The Blue and Gold wrap up their trip to the Garden State on Jan. 13 against Rider. Tip-off from Lawrenceville, N.J., is set for 2 p.m., with the game streaming on ESPN+.
 
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