Freshman forward Sisi Eleko secured her first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, but it was not enough as Canisius fell to Mount St. Mary’s, 68-58, in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) women’s basketball action Saturday afternoon at Knott Arena in Emmitsburg, Md.
Along with the double-double effort from Eleko, the Golden Griffins (6-11, 3-5 MAAC) were paced by graduate student guard Vannessa Garrelts, who had a team-high 13 points, and sophomore guard Cheyenne Stubbs, who added in 12 points to the losing cause. Freshman forward Adrien LaMora matched a season-high with five rebounds for Canisius, which shot 41.8 percent (23-of-55) from the field and 5-of-23 (21.7 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc.
Five different players from the Mountaineers (7-9, 3-4 MAAC) finished in double digits, with Jo Raflo leading the pack with 16 total points, 13 of which came in the first quarter. Natalie Villaflor (14), Jessica Tomasetti (12), Aryna Taylor (11) and Michaela Harrison (10) also posted double-digits in the scoring column, as Mount St. Mary’s ended the contest by shooting just 39.3 percent (26-for-41) from the floor, but the home team did knock down nine treys in the win.
In a high-scoring first quarter, the Griffs roared out of the gate, opening a 6-0 lead just 1:06 into the contest. Mount St. Mary’s would respond with an 11-0 run over the next 3:25 of the quarter to hold a 11-6 lead with 5:29 to play in the opening stanza. Raflo was the catalyst for the Mountaineers’ run, scoring eight points in that stretch. Eventually, the Mount led the Griffs 26-20 after 10:00 of play.
Canisius limited Mount St. Mary’s to just two points during the opening 7:11 of the second frame, while scoring 10 at its end of the floor, to take a 30-28 lead with 2:49 to play before halftime. Dani Haskell had four points during that surge for the Blue and Gold while LaMora, Eleko, and Garrelts each added buckets of their own during the Griffs longest scoring run of the contest.
From there, the Mount would turn the tide, using a 10-2 run in the remainder of the opening half to send the Mountaineers into the locker room up 38-32. Out of halftime, Mount St. Mary’s opened the third quarter with a 7-2 spurt to push its cushion to 11 points at 45-32 with 6:57 to play. Canisius was able to whittle that lead down to six at 47-41 thanks to a fast break bucket by Stubbs with 1:05 left in the third stanza, and early in the fourth quarter, a 3-pointer by Garrelts got Canisius within five points at 49-44 with 9:27 remaining, but that would be as close as the Blue and Gold would get to the closing moments of the fourth quarter. A basket from Eleko with 3:35 left on the game clock made the score 53-49 in favor of the home team, but the Mountaineers sealed the win on their next trip down the floor when Aryna Taylor stripped a 3-pointer to push Mount’s cushion back to seven at 56-49.
Haskell scored nine points to go with four rebounds, four assists and two steals in the losing effort for the Griffs, while Jane McCauley added six points on the power of two makes from 3-point land. Each team had 36 rebounds in the game, with 10 of the Griffs’ 36 boards coming off the offensive glass.
Game Notes:
- This was the first meeting between Canisius and Mount St. Mary’s since the 2009-10 season. The Griffs remain winless on the road in this series.
- Canisius only attempted seven free-throws during the contest, making all seven.
- The Griffs’ 20 points in the first quarter established a new season-high for points scored in the opening frame.
- Eleko becomes the second freshman this season to have a double-double. Brooklyn Thrash scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Binghamton on Nov. 20 for her first career double-double.
Up Next:
The Blue and Gold will return home to the Koessler Athletic Center to face Manhattan in the second game between the two sides this season. Tip-off at the Koessler AthletiC Center is scheduled for 1 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
