By Andrew Nowel, contributor
The Griffs earned their first victory under new head coach Jim Christian in an 85–67 win over Rider on Friday, Jan. 10.
It was a cold Friday night in Buffalo when students were just starting to return from winter break. At the Koessler Athletic Center, the Griffs took the court looking for a much-needed win against a team that entered also on a substantial losing streak.
For over 16 minutes, the teams traded baskets, bringing the game to a 25–25 stalemate with three minutes left in the first half. That’s when Canisius senior guard Tana Kopa knocked down a stepback three that would completely shift the momentum of the game. The Griff proceeded to go on a 14–3 run that ended the half with Canisius leading 39–28.
The Griffs extended their lead to 18 twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half, as Canisius did not miss a shot during this span. They would finish the half with a field goal percentage of 78%, shooting 18–23 and 7–9 from three-point range. The Griffs scored 46 points in the second half – the most they had scored in a half since Nov. 23 in their loss to the Brown Bears.
The offense was led by junior guard Paul McMillan IV, who recorded a team-high 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists. In his postgame interview, McMillan IV spoke about how Coach Christian and the team had been working together to make sure the offensive game plan was set for Rider.
“The last few games, the offense was disorganized, so we wanted to make sure that the offense was clicking,” explained McMillan IV. “I just wanted to get the win tonight. We’re 0–14, we’ve been through a lot so far, so I just wanted to come in here and get the win.”
Coach Christian noticed the different feel about the way that the team had practiced in the days leading up to the game saying, “we had resolve, it was a different feeling about our team, and we had resolve and toughness, and guys stepped up and made big plays.”
The Griffs were unsuccessful in continuing the winning streak with a loss to the Saint Peter Peacocks this past Sunday, Jan. 19, but both McMillan IV and Coach Christian know that there are still a lot of MAAC games left to play in the new year.
“We’ve just got to keep playing, keep getting better, and keep bringing the mentality and toughness,” said Coach Christian.
The Griffs will head back to the road with a weeknight matchup with the Iona Gaels on Thursday, and then over to Fairfield for a weekend matchup with the Stags on Saturday.
Comments