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Canisius University Athletics

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Sisi runs with the ball up the court against Manhattan on Jan. 20, 2024
Lindy Feider
58
Winner Manhattan MC 12-4,5-2 MAAC
55
Canisius Canis 10-7,5-3 MAAC
Winner
Manhattan MC
12-4,5-2 MAAC
58
Final
55
Canisius Canis
10-7,5-3 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Manhattan MC 7 21 10 20 58
Canisius Canis 15 13 15 12 55

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Manhattan uses Fourth-Quarter Comeback to Defeat Women's Basketball

Manhattan would outscore Canisius by a 20-12 margin in the fourth quarter to erase a five-point deficit and post a 58-55 victory in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women's basketball action Saturday at the Koessler Athletic Center.
 
With the win, the Jaspers moved to 12-4 overall and 5-2 in MAAC play. The Golden Griffins, meanwhile, slipped to 10-7 and 5-2 in conference action.
 
Manhattan was led by 15 points and five assists from Nitzan Amar with Leyla Özturk contributing 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Anne Bair chipped gave Manhattan a trio of double-digit scorers, finishing with 11 points in the winning effort.
 
Sophomore Sisi Eleko once again led the Canisius offense, ending the afternoon just shy of a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds. Senior Mackenzie Amalia and junior Athina Lexa added in 14 points each, with Amalia also dishing out a team-best four assists. On the glass, graduate student Grace Heeps collected a tema-high seven boards.
 
Down 43-38 entering the fourth quarter, Manhattan scored the first seven points of the final frame over the opening 2:15 to reclaim the lead, 45-43.
 
The Jaspers maintained a two-point lead for most of the quarter, but with less than two minutes left, Eleko brought the score back to even when she put home a layup to tie the score at 51-51 with 1:14 remaining.
 
The Jaspers took the lead for good on the ensuing possession as Bair connected on a make from deep to give Manhattan three-point lead with 52 seconds to play.
 
The two sides exchanged free throws with under a minute left, but a last second 3-point heave from the Griffs fell short, allowing Manhattan to leave Western New York with its second win of the weekend.
 
Earlier in the contest, Canisius opened the game on a 7-1 run with Eleko notching all seven points for Griffs across the first 2:37.  
The Griffs defense controlled the rest of the quarter, limiting the Jaspers to just three field goals to hold a 13-7 advantage after 10 minutes.
 
Manhattan found its stride during the middle portion of the second quarter as it used an 11-5 run to cut the Canisius advantage to just one, 25-24, with 2:39 left before halftime.
 
A 3-pointer from graduate student Tihanna Fulton extended the Griffs lead back to four, 28-24, with 1:39 remaining before halftime, but two late buckets from the Jaspers saw the two sides enter the break tied, 28-28.
 
After trading baskets to begin the second half, the Griffs use a 12-4 run, paced by eight points from Amalia and a defensive effort that held Manhattan to just 1-of-10 (.100) shooting, to build a 43-38 lead entering the final frame.
 
POSTGAME COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH SAHAR NUSSEIBEH:  
 GAME NOTES
• Saturday marked the 71st all-time meeting between the two MAAC rivals. The series now favors Manhattan by a slim 36-35 margin with the Jaspers also winning their ninth straight over the Griffs. Canisius is also now 22-12 at home against the Jaspers.
• Canisius held an opponent to less than 10 points in a quarter for the third straight game as it limited Manhattan to just seven points in the first quarter.
• Eleko finished in double-figures in points for the sixth straight game.
• Canisius was 7-of-20 (.350) from deep compared to 4-of-17 (.235) for Manhattan.
 
UP NEXT
The Blue and Gold head downstate to face Iona Jan. 25. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., with the game airing on ESPN+.

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