By Colin Richey, Assistant Sports Editor
The men’s basketball team defeated St. Bonaventure 70–67 on Saturday, but dropped a game to Cleveland State 71–61 on Wednesday.
Canisius earned their second win of the season against the Bonnies – a 70–67 win, despite trailing by seven points at halftime. A huge second half point run, which saw the Griffs outscore their opponent 27–6, helped secure their victory. Four Griffs scored double-digit points, with junior guard Tre Dinkins leading the team with 16. Senior guard Siem Uiktendaal recorded 13 points, while juniors TJ Gadsden and Frank Mitchell scoring 11 each. Mitchell also earned his first career double-double, grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds.
After the game, Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon had high praise for his team, explaining that “it’s a treasure anytime you can come here and get a win.”
Next, Canisius traveled to Ohio to take on Cleveland State, where they fell 71–61. Uijtendaal led the team with 16 points, while also registering six rebounds, two assists and one steal. It was a one point game heading into halftime, with the Vikings leading 35–34. After Cleveland State extended their lead, Uijtendaal scored five straight to make it a one point contest again. An 8–2 run from the Vikings helped them push away, and ultimately secure the win.
Dinkins described areas of improvement on both sides of the ball. “On defense, I think we got better in terms of guarding on-ball and off-ball, things like that. There’s still some stuff we need to clean up, but I think our defense is getting better.” He explained that the offense will need to continue to improve their transitions, pushing the ball up better and passing more effectively.
The Griffs have their home opener on Monday, where Dinkins says their focus includes “being aggressive, taking shots, playing defense; getting out on the break. We obviously have a lot of talent, and it’s going to take everyone being on the same page to get the win.”
Tipoff between Canisius and D’Youville is on Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the Koessler Athletic Center.