Canisius and St. Joe's have been near mirror images of each other all season. Before the two got together for the first time, they occupied spots four and five in the Buffalo News large school poll. A Marauder win in that game saw the two schools change places in the poll, and they've remained next to each other since. They share six common nonleague opponents, with the same result for four of those games, and one (Falls) yet to be determined. Both teams took apart the rest of the Monsignor Martin, including a resounding win over Bishop Timon-St. Jude for each. The rivals are largely considered the class of the catholic league. So it only seemed logical that after the rematch, we would have nothing sorted out, and the two would remain as they've been all season, even.
Aaron Nevins scored 11 of his 21 points in the final three minutes of the game and junior Matt Hart added 10 of his team-high 22 points in the final stanza, to lead the Crusaders in a huge fourth quarter in which they scored 32 points and overcame a five-point deficit. Canisius registered an 82-78 victory to defeat its archrival, but most importantly, gained a share of first place in the league with a game remaining. A Crusader win when they host Timon-St. Jude for their senior night on Friday, would earn them a first place tie for the regular season and force a coin toss scenario to determine the top seed for the Manhattan Cup playoffs.
The game, which sold out well before tip-off, was a dead heat after the first quarter, and a two-point game at halftime, with St. Joe's leading 31-29. A Canisius run druring the first half of the third quarter had the Crusaders in front, 42-39, before a downright clinical display from Marauder Connor Rehbaum stole the show. You could say he was heating up, feeling it, and in the zone, but however you describe it, Rehbaum was unstoppable during a late stretch in the third. Scoring 13 of his game-high 24 points, the St. Joe's senior dribbled around, elevated over, and faded away from Canisius defenders, swishing everything that left his finger tips. When he sank the final shot of the third from the corner, over a defenders outstretched hand, the place was on its feet and you wondered how the Crusaders were going to overcome that momentum.
The answer was by creating their own. Canisius opened the fourth quarter on an 11-3 run and regained the lead, 61-58. The lead would change four times over the next two minutes, before a St. Joe's basket from Steve Moser had the game knotted at 66 apiece. On the ensuing possession, Nevins got to the free throw line and connected on both chances. The senior floor general followed that up with a steal and score, before a basket from Hart had the Crusaders up by six, and they would never trail the rest of the way. Just as the "Rowdies" had done in the previous meeting, the "Blue Crew" flooded onto the court at the final buzzer and swallowed up their team in celebration.
Gordon Lyons finished with 21 points for Canisius, while sophomore teammate Adam Weir added 10 points in the win.
The Marauders got 18 points from Moser and Reggie Agbeko netted 14 points.
-centercourt
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