By Paul Casey Gotham
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Head coach Tom Parrotta kept it simple. Prior to Sunday’s regular season finale the fifth-year coach told his team to: “Make your own memories today.”
With that the Canisius senior class took the court having played a combined 543 games. They followed their coach’s advice and created memories.
There was Julius Coles driving and slashing; Tomas Vazquez-Simmons blocking a shot; Robert Goldsberry diving on the floor; Elton Frazier adding to his career highlight reel, and Greg Logins connecting time after time after time from behind the arc.
Logins scored 23 of his game-high 26 points in the second half as the Canisius Golden Griffins pounded the Loyola Greyhounds 75-58 in Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference action at the Koessler Athletic Center.
The senior forward hit seven of his career-high eight treys after the break pacing the Golden Griffins to a 49-26 advantage in the second stanza. Logins led a senior group that scored that 46 of the Griffs’ second-half points.
“We took some good shots. They just didn’t fall in the first half,” head coach Tom Parrotta noted. “We said those shots are going to fall, and they started to, and they just elevated their game. That’s what we’re all about. Seniors stepped up.”
Frazier opened the scoring in the second half with a baseline jumper from fifteen feet. It was the 1,000th point of his career.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy1PiLl3yvE]
Two possessions later, Coles corralled a defensive rebound and pushed the ball ahead to Gaby Belardo who took two dribbles before delivering a diagonal cross-court pass to Goldsberry awaiting in the left corner for the open trifecta.
Logins gave the Griffs the lead at 37-35 with back-to back 3s. Belardo found him open in the right corner to tie the score. Then Frazier deflected a Loyola pass to Belardo who passed up court to Goldsberry and on to Logins for the first lead since 9-7.
Two ties and two lead changes later, Logins gave the Griffs the lead for good when Reggie Groves set him up for the 45-42 lead.
After a timeout, Groves broke a full-court press with a diagonal pass to Alshwan Hymes. The sophomore guard made two dribbles before entering the ball to Frazier in the lane for a layup.
It was the start of a 30-16 run with which the Blue and Gold finished the game.
“We jumped into them in the second half, and that was the difference in the game,” Parrotta mentioned. “These guys (Frazier and Logins) took it to another level which is supposed to happen.”
Goldsberry brought the crowd of 1,665 to its feet with a pair of spectacular plays. The Troy, Ohio native dove headlong through the Griffin bench to save a loose ball. At the other end of the floor, Goldsberry stopped the Greyhounds by taking a charge.
“Robert threw his body moreso than he ever has,” Parrotta commented. “He made some huge plays.”
Meanwhile the Canisius offense shredded the Loyola full-court press getting repeated baskets at the other end. By the time Logins connected for his eighth trifecta on the afternoon, the Griffs turned a six-point halftime deficit into 66-47 advantage.
“I don’t want to coach against Mr.Logins anymore,” Loyola head coach Jimmy Patsos quipped. “Great effort by him. I’m happy for him. He’s always been a classy kid. He keeps you awake at night. When he’s hot, he’s hot.”
“Once I started making the first couple of shots,” Logins said. “My confidence rose through the roof. My teammates said if you’re open, shoot it. We’re going to find you. That’s what they did. Every time they passed the ball, I just got my feet set and knocked it down.”
Canisius grabbed an early lead.
Frazier opened the scoring with a right-handed jump hook in the lane. The senior forward established position in front of Erik Etherly, and Goldsberry delivered a bouce pass for the deuce.
Logins added his first trey of the game. Frazier finished an acrobatic rebound and putback at the rim, and Coles knocked down a pair of free throws.
But the Greyhounds went on a 15-4 run. Justin Drummond hit a pair from behind the arc, and J’Hared Hall added one from long range as Loyola streaked to a 22-13 lead.
Trailing by 11, Frazier sparked a comeback late in the first half. He took a pass from Belardo and finished over the Greyhound defense with his right hand. Next time down the floor, Frazier created space with a pair of dribbles before stepping into the lane and finishing with a jump hook.
He capped the run with an emphatic putback dunk in transition. After the Griffin defense denied the Greyhounds anything for thirty seconds, Logins picked Hall’s pocket and created a two-on-one advantage when he slapped the ball ahead. Belardo attacked the basket and led Julius Coles with a behind-the-back bounce pass. When Coles’s lay up kicked off the back rim, Frazier was there for the flush.
“Early in the first half we weren’t playing like ourselves, and I saw that we needed a spark,” Frazier explained. “So I did whatever I could do to get that spark.”
Frazier and Logins grabbed seven rebounds apiece. Frazier finished with five blocks.
Goldsberry and Groves had a game-high six assists. Goldsberry added seven points, two steals, two blocks and took two charges.
Brian Rudolph led Loyola with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier each added 11. Drummond had 10.
The Greyhounds finish the season in fifth-lace with a 10-8 mark in the MAAC and 15-14 overall.
Canisius went 9-9 in conference play and 15-14 for the season.
Both teams earned a first-round bye in next weekend’s tournament.
Frazier became the 32nd Griffin to eclipse 1,000 point plateau.
11 points was the largest deficit Canisius has overcome this year.
Canisius hit 61.5 percent (16-26) from the field in the second half including 9-14 from behind the arc.
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 this semester.
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