Canisius closed the game on a 17-2 run to erase a nine-point deficit and defeat Youngstown State, 65-59, in collegiate women’s basketball action Thursday at the Beeghly Center in Youngstown, Ohio.
Sophomore Sisi Eleko netted her MAAC-leading seventh double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds to pace the Golden Griffins (7-3), who picked up their fifth straight win with the comeback triumph. Eleko was one of four Canisius players to score in double figures as sophomore Brooklyn Thrash chipped in 12 points while senior Mackenzie Amalia and junior Athina Lexa added 11 points apiece, with Amalia chipping in a team-high six assists. On the glass, graduate student Grace Heeps collected a season-high eight rebounds.
Dena Jarrells and Paige Shy paced the Penguins (4-8) offense with 22 and 20 points, respectively. On the glass, Emily Saunders and Shy would each nab seven rebounds in the loss.
Trailing 57-48 with under five minutes to play in regulation, a 3-pointer by Amalia sparked the Griffs to score nine unanswered points and tie the game at 57-57 with 3:06 remaining.
The Penguins temporarily retook the lead on their next possession as Shy converted a pair of free throws, but Canisius would regain control of the game moments later, taking advantage of layups from Trash and Eleko on consecutive trips down the floor to grab a 61-59 advantage with 38 seconds to play.
Eleko came up big defensively for the Griffs on YSU’s next possession, swatting away the first shot from Liber before collecting a defensive rebound on the put-back attempt, letting the Griffs call a timeout and maintain their lead.
Out of the break, Canisius sealed the game with a 3-point play from Lexa and late free-throw from Amalia to complete the comeback win.
Earlier in the contest, the Griffs found themselves down one, 19-18, with less than 30 seconds left in the opening quarter. The Blue and Gold would find Lexa, who drove to the basket and converted her layup to give the visitors a 20-19 lead after 10 minutes of play.
In one of its best defensive quarters this season, Canisius would hold the Penguins to 2-of-17 (.118) shooting from the floor during the second quarter while scoring 11 points of its own to enter the locker room ahead, 31-25.
YSU flipped the game in its favor during the third, outscoring Canisius by a 25-6 margin to build a 50-37 lead entering the final frame, setting the stage for the Griffs late-game surge.
GAME NOTES
• This is the Griffs first five-game winning streak since 2015-16 and the first time Canisius has won five straight games on the road since the 2008-09 campaign.
• Thursday’s game marked the first time Canisius has won after trailing by 15-or-more points since an 84-82 win over Little Three rival St. Bonaventure on Nov. 17, 2019
• Canisius defeated Youngstown State for the first time on the road since Nov. 22, 2009.
• This was the 13th all-time meeting between the Griffs and Penguins with YSU holding a slim 7-6 edge in the series. It also marked the first time the two opponents played consecutive games in Youngstown, Ohio.
• The Griffs finished their six-game road swing with a record of 5-1, defeating all five mid-major teams they faced during the swing.
• The starting five of Heeps, Amalia, Rozzi, Thrash and Eleko started all six games during the Griffs road swing.
• Canisius held Youngstown State to just six points in the second quarter and nine points in the fourth, marking the first time they held an opponent to less than 10 points in multiple quarters this season
• Eleko totaled consecutive double-doubles for the second time this season.
UP NEXT
The Blue and Gold returns home for the first time since mid-November on Dec. 30 to face Akron at the Koessler Athletic Center. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m., with the game airing on ESPN+.
