Wilson’s 28, Mack’s 20 pushes Men’s Basketball to first win
By Andrew Nowel, Editor-In-Chief
After falling in back–to–back games to open their season, the Canisius men’s basketball team took to the court on Monday night with everything clicking on offense and defense. Scoring the most points in over three years, the Griffs topped the Hiram Terriers 117–60 behind 48 combined points from junior transfer Michael Wilson Jr. and freshman Alex Mack.
Leading all starters, Wilson Jr. notched 24 minutes on the court and turned into a scoring machine. Shooting 81.8% from the field and knocking down nine free throws helped a struggling offense find their feet in a bounceback game. Wilson Jr. finished with 28 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. The transfer from Bellarmine showed his full potential as he starred in the victory.
Another newcomer got his name called the most in the game. Mack recorded 26 minutes on the court, topping all the starters and earning a new season–high. After playing 20 minutes against Penn State on opening night and 22 minutes against St. Bonaventure on Saturday, Mack remained on the court for extra minutes of valuable playing time.
While on the court, Mack knocked down 63.6% of his shots, namely making five of his six three-pointers to account for 15 of his 20 points. Mack’s 83.3% from beyond the arc gave the Griffs the extended lead they needed to cruise to the victory. Both Mack and Wilson Jr. didn’t take a foul during the game, showing discipline Head Coach Jim Christian was looking for following a foul–ridden St. Bonaventure loss.
“Wilson Jr. is a good player, and he just didn’t play well the last two games, so he just needs to get back into a good rhythm,” said Christian following Saturday’s loss.
The Blue and Gold’s leading scorer entering the game, senior Clinton Efinda, dropped 14, adding to his total on the season. The transfer from the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG) struggled from downtown, making only one of his five three-pointers, but he found success from the field, making five shots overall.
Christian talked about erasing the first two games following the loss to the Bonnies, and his message to the team was simple: get better.
“I was disappointed in how we played, and I was disappointed in how I coached, so we just need to get better. We showed signs today offensively how we can be in terms of how we move the ball and how we shoot the ball,” said Christian in his postgame interview after Monday’s win.
With nonconference play in full swing, the Griffs look to continue to build the momentum from the win over Division III Hiram back into Division I play as they face the Buffalo Bulls on Sunday in a local Big 4 rivalry. With tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Canisius looks to return to the Koessler Athletic Center in better shape before the Queen City Classic the following weekend.
Behind the scoring of Wilson Jr. and the chemistry the team continues to build everyday in practice, the Griffs turn to their key players to put their season back on track before the light at the end of the tunnel goes out.
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