Canisius savors victory over Niagara

By Paul Casey Gotham

BUFFALO, N.Y. — College basketball players like all student-athletes face a dilemma with time. They enter the field of play looking to finish off each contest with a win. And with each passing moment they draw closer to the end of their already short inter-scholastic career.

No one team recognizes this more than the Canisius Golden Griffins. Five seniors in blue and gold confront a series of lasts each time they take the hardwood.  Friday night,  the Griffs had a chance to pause and enjoy the moment.

Julius Coles led a quartet of Griffins in double figures, Greg Logins registered a double-double and Elton Frazier added to his highlight reel as Canisius defeated cross-town Niagara Purple Eagles 69-54 in Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference action at the Koessler Athletic Center.

Coles sparked a 13-2 run with nine straight as the Griffs put the game out of reach late in the second half.  Gaby Belardo took a pass from Regggie Groves at the top of the key, and without hesitation, kept the ball in motion to the awaiting Coles who drilled a three a from the left corner for 54-47 lead.

At the other end, Coles contested a Skylar Jones jumper. Greg Logins corralled the rebound and quickly released an outlet pass to Coles who was fouled at the other end.

On the next trip down the floor, Coles stepped into a passing lane and finished in the open court with a jam.

Niagara extended their defense looking to chip into eight-point deficit. The Griffs patiently worked the ball from side to side. With the shot clock running down, Belardo stepped through a double team at the top of the key and, once again, found Coles in the left corner for another trey.

Canisius kept up the pressure.

Coles switched roles with Belardo and found Alshwan Hymes in the left corner for another trifecta and a 63-49 lead with a little more than two minutes remaining.

Frazier put an exclamation point on the victory when he slipped behind Kashief Edwards. Belardo threaded a pass through the Niagara 2-3 zone, and Frazier finished with an under-the-basket left-handed dunk.

The win was the second  in a row for a Canisius team that looked snake-bitten just a week ago dropping their third league contest in twelve days in the game’s final moments.

“It comes back to the meeting we had with coach about seniors stepping up and leading the group,” Coles commented. ” We’ve all played over 100 games. We know what it’s like to be in games. We’ve been blown out, We’ve won close games, so when we’re out on the floor in the crunch time, we’ve already had that type of experience. We know what to do. It’s like second nature.”

Canisius will look to build upon its momentum for the final eight conference games of the season, and for the seniors, their career.

“We’ve waited a long time to get to the point where we were a sound team,” added head coach, Tom Parrotta. “You do have to point out to seniors to savor these moments. You’ve got to savor this because you don’t know what could happen.”

The Griffs jumped to an early 8-2 edge. Belardo hit Coles below the foul-line extended, and the native of Harlem, New York hit his first of four from behind the arc.

Two trips later, Belardo came off a ball screen at the top and nailed a three.

Coles finished a drive along the baseline with a thunderous dunk, and the Griffs were off and running.

But the Purple Eagles wouldn’t go away.

With freshman, Marvin Jordan and senior, Anthony Nelson leading the way, Niagara clawed their way back and tied the game at 41-41.

Jordan scored 20 of his career-high 23 after the break. The freshman from Peoria, Illinois opened the latter stanza connecting on his first three of four shots from behind the arc. In all, Jordan hit five from long range.

Nelson, Niagara’s leading scorer, assisted on two of Jordan’s baskets, knocked down a pair of free throws and picked a pair of steals to key the rally.

But the senior guard was forced to the bench when picked up his fourth foul at the 8:56 mark and the game tied.

Canisius responded with a 10-3 win.

“They did what they had to win, and we did what we had to lose,” Niagara coach, Joe Mihalich commented. “They made the plays. They made the shots, and we didn’t.”

Mihalich continued talking about the importance of Nelson’s presence on the floor.

“We need him on the floor just to have a chance. We’re in a sword fight with a butter knife any way. We take Anthony out of the game, and it’s a tough mountain to climb.”

“We didn’t play our best game today,” Parrotta added. “A lot of that had to do with what Niagara was doing. A lot of credit goes to them. They’re a very talented team.”

The 15-point margin was the Griffs’ largest home victory over their cross-town rivals since an 84-65 triumph on February 2nd, 1995.

Canisius outrebounded Niagara 37-29. The Griffs have not had the edge on the boards since a 40-30 glass edge in the 85-52 win over Northwestern State on December 29th.

Coles finished with 20. It was the 11th time in the senior’s career he has eclipsed the 20-point plateau.

Logins had 14 points and 11 rebounds for his 11th career double-double.

Belardo finished with a career-high seven points to go with 11 points.

Frazier also added 11 including a spectacular dunk in the first half.  The Griffs quickly got out in transition after a three by the Purple Eagles. Hymes caught Belardo in stride with a diagonal pass over the defense, and the Canisius point guard in turn led Frazier with an alley oop. The play was reminiscent of Frazier’s dunk a year ago when the senior was featured on number one on ESPN’s top te plays of the day.

Robert Goldsberry went down in the first half and was helped off the court when he banged his head in a scramble on the floor. The senior did not return to the game, and his condition is being evaluated.

Canisius improves to 4-6 in MAAC play and 10-10 overall. The Griffs travel to Connecticut to play first-place Fairfield on Monday.

Canisius made national news when Frank Turner earned his master’s degree after four years of work at the Buffalo campus. Current seniors, Coles, Frazier,  Goldsberry, Logins and Vazquez-Simmons all completed their four-year degrees last spring. The five seniors are in line to get their master’s by the end of the next semester.