Feb. 7, 2004
Box Score
BUFFALO, N.Y. (gogriffs.com) - Freshman Darnell Wilson posted a career-high 14 points to lead five scorers in double figures as Canisius College (8-15, 3-9 MAAC) downed Marist (5-16, 3-9 MAAC) 78-63 in the Koessler Athletic Center Saturday afternoon.
The victory broke a five-game overall losing streak for Canisius and a four-game skid at home. It was the seventh consecutive loss for the Red Foxes.
Sophomore Kevin Downey added 12 points and seven assists, while senior Toby Foster chipped in 11 points and grabbed eight boards for the Golden Griffins. Fellow seniors Jon Ferris and Yaku Moton-Spruill each had 10 points, and Ferris corralled eight rebounds.
Marist was led by junior Will McClurkin with 16 points, while freshman Jared Jordan had 12 points, shooting 5-for-6 from the field. Senior Chris Handy chipped in 11 points for the Red Foxes.
Leading 62-54, Canisius went on a 16-6 run in the middle of the second half to take a 78-60 cushion and put the game away. The Blue and Gold shot 7-for-13 from the field, while the Red Foxes went 2-for-11 and committed three turnovers during the 5:35 span. Canisius punched the ball inside to Moton-Spruill and Ferris a majority of the frame to help pull away. The Griffs outscored Marist 42-22 in the paint for the game.
With the score 11-6 in favor of Marist, the Griffs went on a 17-4 first-half run, sparked by Downey's five points. Canisius shot 7-for-11 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc during the 3:17 span, which gave the Griffs a 23-15 advantage with 10:55 to go. The Blue and Gold capitalized on nine Marist first-half turnovers, scoring 18 points, and led 42-35 at the break.
"We're playing much better," said Canisius coach Mike MacDonald. "We've had a positive attitude in practice this week, and we shared the ball well today. We've been playing well in our last couple games, so it's nice to see that pay off today."
"Canisius has great balance inside and out," said Marist coach Dave Magarity. "They did a terrific job rebounding, which gave them a lot more offensive chances."
The Griffs outrebounded the Red Foxes 45-32 overall and 18-8 on the offensive glass. Canisius shot 50 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range in the second half, while Marist shot 33.3 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from behind the arc.
Canisius will play at Fairfield next Saturday at 3:30 p.m., and at Rider Monday at 7:30 p.m.
