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Devean Williams grabs a rebound in the first half of a home game against Niagara on Feb. 23, 2024.
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59
Niagara Niag 14-12,10-6 MAAC
69
Winner Canisius Canis 11-15,6-10 MAAC
Niagara Niag
14-12,10-6 MAAC
59
Final
69
Canisius Canis
11-15,6-10 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Niagara Niag 25 34 59
Canisius Canis 39 30 69

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Basketball Leads Wire-to-Wire in Win over Niagara

Canisius jumped out to an early 12-0 lead 4:41 into the contest and never looked back, as the host Golden Griffins scored a 69-59 victory over Niagara in MAAC men's basketball action Friday night at the Koessler Athletic Center.
 
The win, Canisius' second straight and third in its last four outings, improved the Blue and Gold to 11-15 overall and 6-10 in league action. Niagara saw its two-game win streak, and its eight-game road win streak, come to an end with the loss. The Purple Eagles are now 14-12 overall and 10-6 in conference action.
 
Four Canisius players scored in double-figures in the win, led by junior guard Tre Dinkins, who posted 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, with two of those makes coming from 3-point land. Sophomore Devean Williams matched a career-high with 15 points to go along with five rebounds, three assists and a steal, while junior TJ Gadsden and sophomore Cam Palesse each added 12 points in the win, as the Griffins improved to 7-3 at home this season.
 
Niagara's Braxton Bayless came off the bench and scored a game-high 17 points in the loss for the Purple Eagles, with nine of those points coming from the free-throw line. Harlan Obioha posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Kwane Marble II scored 13 points to go with seven boards. For the game, Niagara shot 36.0 percent from the field, made just 2-of-10 from 3-point land and turned the ball over 12 times, which the Griffs converted into 17 points.
 
GAME RECAP
The Griffs jumped out to an early 12-0 lead after the Blue and Gold scored on four of its first five possessions, capped by back-to-back 3-pointers from Dinkins and Palesse. Out of a Niagara timeout, the Purple Eagles finally got on the scoreboard 4:58 into the contest as Obioha laid the ball into the bucket off an offensive rebound. Moments later, the Griffs went up 14 after sophomore Youri Fritz completed a traditional three-point play with 10:53 left in the first half to put Canisius up 19-5.
 
Trailing 21-7, Niagara used a 10-2 run over the span of 2:10 to whittle the Griffs' lead down to six at 23-17 with 7:48 left before intermission. In that run, eight of the Purple Eagles' points came by the way of Obioha. Six points would be as close as Niagara would get to Canisius in the first half, however, as the Blue and Gold answered with an 13-1 run over the game's next 3:34 to give Canisius a 36-18 lead with 3:46 remaining in the opening stanza. Canisius led the game 39-25 at the break after the Blue and Gold shot 51.6 percent from the field in the game's opening 20 minutes, while holding Niagara to 7-of-27 (25.9 percent) shooting in the first half.
 
In the second half, Canisius stretched its lead to as many as 19 with 18:16 left to play after Palesse completed a traditional three-point play to make the score 46-27 in favor of the home team. Niagara did not back down, however, and eventually trimmed Canisius' lead to three at 53-50 with 7:18 left on the clock thanks to a 23-7 run over the span of 10:42. In that scoring surge, Bayless and Marble II accounted for 15 of Niagara's points. Williams put Canisius back up five at 55-50 with 5:46 remaining, but Niagara cut the Griffs' lead to three just moments later after Marble II knocked down a pair of free throws. Williams ended Niagara's hopes at a comeback on Canisius' next possession after he drilled one of his three 3-pointers with 5:05 left on the clock to push the Blue and Gold's cushion back to six points at 58-52.
 
HEAD COACH REGGIE WITHERPSPOON'S POSTGAME COMMENTS  
GAME NOTES
• Friday was the 193rd all-time meeting between the two schools, and the 25th contest played on the floor at the Koessler Athletic Center. Niagara leads the series 107-86.
• The Griffs have now won three of the last four home games in this series, dating back to the 2019-20 campaign.
• Friday marked the second time this season Canisius won a game despite not scoring at least 70 points, and the 59 points scored by Niagara are a season-low for the Purple Eagles.
• Dinkins has now scored in double-figures in four-straight games and in 14 of the team's last 17 outings.
• Dinkins made a pair of 3-pointers in the victory giving him 72 for the season, which ranks 10th all-time on the school's single-season 3-point field goals made list.
• Williams has now scored in double-figures four time this season, with three of those occasions coming against MAAC opponents.
• Junior Frank Mitchell grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in the win for the Griffs, the 16th time this season he has been good for 10-or more rebounds in a game.
• The win on Friday serves as Reggie Witherspoon's 105th career victory in his time as the head coach of the head coach of Canisius. Witherspoon moved past former Griffs head coach Allie Seelbach for fourth place on the school's career coaching wins list.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius will continue it three-game homestand on Friday, March 1, when the team plays host to Mount St. Mary's at the Koessler Athletic Center. Game time is set for 7 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The Griffs' radio call can be heard for free through the Golden Griffin Broadcast Network on GoGriffs.com and the Varsity Network app, with the M&T Bank Pregame Show set to start at 6:40 p.m.
 
Tickets for the Griffs' final two home games can be purchased online by visiting GoGriffs.com/Tickets or by phone by calling (716) 888-TIXX.
 
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