CANISIUS COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Game Recap
Canisius’ head coach Scott Hemer got his first win at the Division I level as the Golden Griffins (1-5) defeated Albany on the road, 48-42. Senior Sara Hinriksdottirscored a team-high 16 points and grabbed six rebounds in route to the win.
Sophomore Anndea Zeigler finished with 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting, and junior D’Jhai Patterson-Ricks had eight points, six of which came from beyond the arc. Of Hinriksdottir’s 16 points, nine came from 3-point land on 3-of-4 shooting from deep. As a team, Canisius shot 30.0 percent from distance, while making 16-of-45 from the floor, a 35.6 percent mark. The Blue and Gold also went 10-of-12 from the charity stripe, an 83.3 percent clip.
Albany (1-6) was led by sophomore Kyara Frames who scored 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting, going 5-of-11 from 3-point range. The Laurel, Md., native also grabbed six boards. Junior Alexi Schecter would add eight points and a team-high seven rebounds for the Great Danes. Albany shot 29.8 percent from the floor, 25.0 percent from 3-point and only 40.0 percent from the line.
Each team got off to a slow start offensively in the first quarter. Canisius’ Hinriksdottir opened the scoring with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, she would add another basket on a fast-break layup five possessions later to make the score, 5-3, Griffs. The Blue and Gold wouldn’t relinquish the lead to the Great Danes until the 6:37 mark of the second quarter when sophomore Kyara Frames hit a 3-pointer from the wing to give Albany its first lead of the night, 11-9. Canisius would answer with a 7-0 run, highlighted by Zeigler making 3-of-4 from the line. The Great Danes would tie it, 17-17, after a 6-1 scoring run. Patterson-Ricks would then hit a back-to-back 3-pointers to put Canisius up, 22-19 at the break.
In the second half, Canisius and Albany would go bucket-for-bucket, but Canisius would never trail the Great Danes. Albany would tie the game after a pair of 3-pointers from Frames to make it, 25-25. Canisius would retake the lead two possessions later after Hinriksdottir hit her third tre of the game. The Golden Griffins would end the third up, 33-30. In the final frame, Canisius would out-score the Great Danes 15-12 in the last 10 minutes, behind Zeigler’s team-high six points in the quarter, to out-last Albany and get its first win of the season.
Head Coach Scott Hemer‘s Postgame Comment
“I am happy for the team, this has been a long stretch for them with three road games in one week, but I give them a ton of credit to keep the energy level up and execute the game plan. They showed enthusiasm for me and my first win, but this is about the team and their development and today was just one step further in the process of learning how to create a culture where they expect to win.”
Game Notes
• Wednesday night’s contest was the seventh meeting between the two teams, with Canisius now leading the series, 4-2.
• The win marked head coach Scott Hemer‘s first win at the helm of the Blue and Gold.
• Hinriksdottir led the team in scoring for the 32nd time in her career and recorded double-figure points for the 61st time. The Keflavik, Iceland, native also had a career-high four steals.
• Zeigler rejected two shots, matching her career-high that she set against Quinnipiac last Jan.
• Guard, Patterson-Ricks collected a career-high four steals.
• Horseheads, N.Y., native Amanda Schiefen played a career-high 31 minutes, scoring two points and grabbing three caroms.
Up Next
The Blue and Gold return to the Koessler Athletic Center Saturday, Dec. 1 to take on the Penguins of Youngstown State. Game time is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+. The contest will be the first of three at home for Canisius.
