By Paul Casey Gotham
ALBANY, N.Y. — Gaby Belardo had a career-high performance, but it was not enough.
Ryan Rossiter registered his 45th career double-double as the Siena Saints avenged an earlier defeat with a 73-69 victory over Canisius Golden Griffins in Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference action at the Times-Union Center.
Rossiter notched 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to pace the Saints. The 6’9″ senior deployed his full arsenal. He hit mid-range jumpers, baby hooks in the lane, lay ups assisted by penetrating teammates and rebound and put-backs. Rossiter scored 10 as the Saints jumped to 19-9 advantage ten minutes in to the contest.
The Saints scored a season-high 41 points in the first half and led by as many as 15.
Canisius never went away.
Reggie Groves made it 22-12 with a three from left foul-line extended. Robert Goldsberry found Alshwan Hymes in transition. Hymes drew the defense and returned the ball to Goldberry at the top of the key who ket the ball moving around the around to the open Groves.
Belardo made it 29-17 with five straight. The red-shirt sophomore got a steal on the defensive end and converted with a spin dribble and a finish from the right. One trip later, Belardo, left open, hit a trifecta from the right.
By the time Hymes hit a trey, the Griffs had a closed to 39-28 with a little over three minutes remaining in the half.
Clarence Jackson hit a pair of free throws for the Saints before the Griffs finished on a 6-0 run.
Goldsberry hit a pair of free throws. Chris Manhertz corralled a defensive rebound. Belardo hit a jumper. The next time down the floor, Manhertz blocked a Jackson lay up. Belardo scooped up the ball and alertly looked ahead and found an open Julius Coles for the lay up.
Canisius had the ball two more times before the break but could not convert.
Belardo led the Griffs with 18 points in the second stanza as he traded jabs with Rossiter late in the game.
The Canisius point guard found Goldsberry open in transition for a three from the right corner. Siena 61. Canisius 58.
Rossiter hit a turn-around jump hook from outside the lane, and Siena led by five.
After a Jackson three, Belardo responded with one of his own.
Rossiter knocked down a baseline jumper, and the Saints led 68-61.
Tomas Vazquez-Simmons blocked a lay up attempt by Rakeem Brookins. Belardo grabbed the rebound and raced to the other end of the floor where he and Hymes perfectly executed a two-on-one break with Belardo finishing on the right.
After a media timeout, Belardo gave Canisius a 69-68 edge with a three from the top off a baseline out-of-bounds play.
But that was the last basket for Canisius.
Rossiter hit a pair from the charity stripe. Jackson broke free of the Griffs press for a dunk, and later hit the front end of a one-and one to cap the scoring.
Belardo finished with 29 on 12-of-20 shooting including four of nine from behind the arc. The native of San Juan, Puerto Rico added five assists, five rebounds, a steal and zero turnovers.
Vazquez-Simmons had five of Canisius’s ten blocks. The senior now has 254 all-time rejections.
Manhertz added three blocks and four rebounds. Coles chipped in 10 points and Greg Logins added nine.
Clarence Jackson had 15 for the Saints. It was the second game back for the senior after missing six games due to a high-ankle sprain. Coming into the contest, the Saints average 71 points with Jackson in the lineup and 63 without the Marlton, New Jersey native.
O.D. Anosike and Brookins had ten apiece.
With the loss, Canisius falls to 2-5 in the MAAC and 8-9 overall. Saturday, Elton Frazier scored 18 points and grabbed 6 rebounds as the Griffs trounced the Manhattan Jaspers 72-51.
Siena improves to 4-3 in the league and 7-10.
The Griffs host Fairfield on Friday and Iona for a Sunday matinee.
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