Canisius sophomore Xzavier Long scored five of his 10 points in overtime and redshirt-freshman Tahj Staveskie made four-straight free-throws in the extra session to help lead the Golden Griffins to a 67-60 victory over Saint Peter’s at Run Baby Run Arena in Jersey City, N.J. The win, Canisius’ second overtime victory of the season, improved the team to 4-11 overall and 2-4 in MAAC play, while Saint Peter’s fell to 7-9 overall and 2-5 in conference action.
Five players scored in double-figures for the Griffs, which won back-to-back road games for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Graduate student Jamir Moultrie led all Canisius players with 17 points, while Staveskie added 14 points, three rebounds and two assists. Sophomore TJ Gadsden recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the victory, while Long and senior Jacco Fritz each scored 10 points, apiece. The Griffs shot 39.1 percent from the field, connecting on 18-of-46 shots on the day, with eight of those makes coming from behind the 3-point line. Canisius took care of business from the free-throw line in the victory, going 23-for-28 from the stripe on the day, highlighted by a perfect 10-for-10 effort from the line in overtime.
For Saint Peter’s, three Peacocks scored in double-figures, led by Isaiah Dasher, who had a game-high 19 points in the losing effort. Saint Peter’s shot 35.5 percent from the field and 19.2 percent from 3-point land on the day, while out-rebounding Canisius 37-35.
Canisius led by as many as 11 points in the opening moments of the second half before the Peacocks battled back and trimmed Canisius’ lead to 54-52 with 1:57 left to play after Dasher slammed one home off a Canisius turnover. The game would remain a two-point affair until the final 41 seconds of regulation, when Dasher drained two free-throws to knot the contest at 54-54. Canisius had two chances to win the game in in the closing 19 seconds, but missed both chances, and a Saint Peter’s jumper with three seconds left on the clock banged off the iron, sending the contest to overtime.
In the overtime period, Saint Peter’s took its first lead since the score read 7-5 in the first half when Jayden Saddler made a lay-up 24 seconds into the extra session. The Peacocks took a four-point lead moments later at 58-54 thanks to a bucket by Jaylen Murray, but that lead would be short-lived, as Long scored the game’s next five points, highlighted by a 3-pointer with 2:22 left to play in overtime, to give the Blue and Gold a 59-58 advantage. From there, Staveskie and Gadsden combined to make six-straight free-throws to help seal the victory, Canisius’ second overtime win this season.
GAME NOTES
• Sunday was the 89th all-time meeting between the two Jesuit schools, and Canisius leads the all-time series 51-37.
• Dating back to the 2017-18 season, Canisius has won eight of the last 10 games against Saint Peter’s.
• Sunday marked the seventh overtime game in series history. Canisius is 6-1 in those seven games.
• The 23 makes from the free-throw line are the most for the Griffs this season.
• Gadsden matched his career-high with his 10 rebounds. He also had 10 boards in the Griffs’ loss to Mount St. Mary’s Jan. 2.
• Gadsden also recorded four blocked shots on the day, which is a career high for him. He is the first Griff to record four-or more blocked shots in a game since Majesty Brandon had four at Quinnipiac on Feb. 13, 2021.
UP NEXT
Canisius will return home to the Koessler Athletic Center for the first time in more than 50 days next week with a pair of MAAC games, starting Friday, Jan. 13, when the Blue and Gold hosts Marist. Game time is set for 7 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast live on ESPN3. The radio call will be exclusively available through GoGriffs.com. Tickets for that game, and all remaining home men’s basketball games, are available online through GoGriffs.com, or by calling the Canisius Ticket Office at (716) 88-TIXX.
For the most up-to-date information on Canisius men’s basketball, follow @Griffs_MBB on Twitter and Instagram.
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