Courtesy of GoGriffs.com
Canisius sophomore Xzavier Long scored five of his 10 points in overtime and redshirt-freshman Tahj Staveskie made four-straight free-throws in the extra session to help lead the Golden Griffins to a 67-60 victory over Saint Peter’s at Run Baby Run Arena in Jersey City, N.J. The win, Canisius’ second overtime victory of the season, improved the team to 4-11 overall and 2-4 in MAAC play, while Saint Peter’s fell to 7-9 overall and 2-5 in conference action.
Five players scored in double-figures for the Griffs, which won back-to-back road games for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Graduate student Jamir Moultrie led all Canisius players with 17 points, while Staveskie added 14 points, three rebounds and two assists. Sophomore TJ Gadsden recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the victory, while Long and senior Jacco Fritz each scored 10 points, apiece. The Griffs shot 39.1 percent from the field, connecting on 18-of-46 shots on the day, with eight of those makes coming from behind the 3-point line. Canisius took care of business from the free-throw line in the victory, going 23-for-28 from the stripe on the day, highlighted by a perfect 10-for-10 effort from the line in overtime.
For Saint Peter’s, three Peacocks scored in double-figures, led by Isaiah Dasher, who had a game-high 19 points in the losing effort. Saint Peter’s shot 35.5 percent from the field and 19.2 percent from 3-point land on the day, while out-rebounding Canisius 37-35.
Canisius led by as many as 11 points in the opening moments of the second half before the Peacocks battled back and trimmed Canisius’ lead to 54-52 with 1:57 left to play after Dasher slammed one home off a Canisius turnover. The game would remain a two-point affair until the final 41 seconds of regulation, when Dasher drained two free-throws to knot the contest at 54-54. Canisius had two chances to win the game in in the closing 19 seconds, but missed both chances, and a Saint Peter’s jumper with three seconds left on the clock banged off the iron, sending the contest to overtime.
In the overtime period, Saint Peter’s took its first lead since the score read 7-5 in the first half when Jayden Saddler made a lay-up 24 seconds into the extra session. The Peacocks took a four-point lead moments later at 58-54 thanks to a bucket by Jaylen Murray, but that lead would be short-lived, as Long scored the game’s next five points, highlighted by a 3-pointer with 2:22 left to play in overtime, to give the Blue and Gold a 59-58 advantage. From there, Staveskie and Gadsden combined to make six-straight free-throws to help seal the victory, Canisius’ second overtime win this season.
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