Canisius cruises past YSU

Staff report

Buffalo, N.Y.

Sophomore Braun Hartfield scored a career-high 33 points and tied a career best with five 3-pointers, but the Youngstown State men’s basketball team dropped a 104-84 decision to Canisius on Saturday at the Koessler Athletic Center.

Canisius (1-2) shot 62.3 percent from the field and made 13 3-pointers. The Penguins are 1-2 and play Division III Westminster on Tuesday at Beeghly Center. The Penguins only win was against Div. III Franciscan.

Hartfield connected on 11-of-18 from the floor, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Senior Cameron Morse scored 12 points and junior Noe Anabir added 10 points.

Four Canisius players scored in double figures led by Isaiah Reese, who had a triple-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

Spencer Foley led the team in scoring with 25 points while Malik Johnson had 22 points and Jermaine Crumpton had 21 points.

The Penguins trailed by as many as 24, 71-47, with a little more than 14 minutes left in the game, but went on a 22-4 run over the next seven minutes to get within six, 75-69, with 7:14 to go.

Anabir scored eight of his 10 points during the run, including a layup to get the Penguins within 11, 73-62.

Freshman Michael Akuckie made two free throws to get the Penguins within nine.

After a Canisius basket, a Hartfield layup and a 3-pointer by Morse cut the deficit to six.

Canisius extended the lead to 12 but Hartfield answered with another 3-pointer to trim to advantage back down to nine, 83-74, with 5:48 remaining.

Morse and Hartfield each hit another 3-pointer to keep the Penguins within 10 at 87-77 and 90-80 with 2:48 left. T

he Golden Griffs, though, outscored the Penguins 14-4 the rest of the way.

In the first half, Canisius shot 63.3 percent from the field and made eight 3-pointers. Foley made all six of his 3s in the first half.