Canisius defeats Fairfield 85-81
Canisius Edges Fairfield in Thrilling Conference Showdown
In a contest that had all the makings of an instant classic, Canisius outlasted Fairfield 85-81 at home on Saturday night.
The Golden Griffins' victory was their first over their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foe this season, and it came down to the wire. Trailing by two with just under five minutes remaining, Canisius staged a dramatic comeback, capped off by a clutch 3-pointer from Kahlil Singleton that put them up by four with seconds left.
Singleton finished with 37 points, including nine 3-pointers made on 12 attempts (75%), as well as nine rebounds and six assists. His performance was instrumental in Canisius' win, helping the team improve to 10-5 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
Myles Wilmoth chipped in with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Mike Evbagharu contributed six assists, seven points, five rebounds, and two steals off the bench. The trio's efforts propelled Canisius past their opponents on the road for the first time this season.
In contrast, Fairfield struggled to find its footing behind Declan Wucherpfennig, who scored 20 points but shot just 64.3% from the field (2-for-2 from three-point range). The Stags' Brandon Benjamin led all scorers with 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Eric Mejia added six assists and seven points.
Canisius enjoyed a slight edge in terms of team shooting percentages, including eFG% (57.0%) and FT Rate (47.4%), but Fairfield countered with an impressive free-throw performance (74.0%). The Golden Griffins also held a narrow edge in the rebounding department, grabbing 25 defensive rebounds to Fairfield's 17.
The contest was a closely contested affair from start to finish, with each team trading baskets and neither able to gain more than a handful of points at any given time. Canisius' largest lead came at halftime, when they trailed by two. Fairfield responded in the second half, but ultimately fell short of their comeback aspirations.
The thrilling victory over Fairfield marked an important milestone for Canisius, who will look to carry this momentum into upcoming conference matchups.