Canisius shows they're still #1

(Stafford Tureheart was the difference for Canisius in its win at Park on Saturday / Photo by Elliott Jerge)

 

As the big game was unfolding, giving those lucky enough to be in attendance the type of game experience that will be forever burned in their minds, one player's performance became the story line. As I was tweeting updates from the sold out gymnasium at Park, questions were flying at me about the game - most of which I ignored so I could actually watch what was going on.  But one question I remembered being asked while the game was still on - what has been the difference?  When the game was over, I answered that question as part of my final score tweet:  "Stafford Trueheart was unbelievable all game, especially down the stretch.  He was the difference."

 

Trueheart scored 28 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, and blocked three shots, to lead Canisius to an exciting 56-53 win at Park, in the first battle of the top two teams in WNY.  The victory improves the Crusaders' mark to 12-1, extends their winning streak against area teams to 25 games, and confirms something that no one on Delaware Ave ever doubted - Canisius is still #1.

 

"This is why they they play, right?" Canisius coach Kyle Husband asked.  "For atmospheres like this, for games like this, for this type of competition."

 

The atmosphere was intense at Park, with fans bunched into bleachers & chairs, lining the baselines, and packed like sardines behind me between the court and front door entrance.  Both teams took the court for an extended shoot around and treated fans to a slam dunk show before the official 15-minute, referee-supervised warm-ups began.  A tomahawk dunk from Trueheart about a half an hour before the game began was my personal favorite.

 

Canisius led throughout most of the opening quarter, after scoring the first points on a 3-pointer from Justin Jones.  Five minutes into the contest, Park took its only lead of the first stanza when Kyle Harris (team-high 18 points) connected from long range to make it 9-8.  On the ensuing possession, the Crusaders regained their advantage when Trueheart responded to Harris' trey with one of his own.  He added another score to finish the first quarter and Canisius was on top, 13-9, after one.

 

The atmosphere at Park reached its fever pitch in the second quarter when the Pioneers embarked on an 18-1 run, that included 13 unanswered to begin the frame. The surge from Park included treys from Harris and Noah Hutchins (10 points), and a breakaway slam from Jordan Nwora(13 points).  By the midway point of the second quarter, the Pioneers' lead had reached 27-14, the largest advantage either team would enjoy all game.

 

"You can see how talented they are and how easily they can score in bunches," said Husband.  "I think during that stretch, we didn't finish possessions.  We let them get to the offensive glass, we lost our focus a little bit for a few minutes."

 

Canisius got its focus back when Trueheart got everyone in the gym to focus on him.  The returning First Team All-Centercourt selection silenced the home faithful at Park with back-to-back dunks to get the Crusaders back within single digits.  During the series that followed, Charles Hart rejected a shot in his own end and then scored on the other end to make it a seven-point game.  A 3-pointer from Will Atkinson, followed by a basket from Justin Jones to end the half had nearly erased the 13-point deficit Canisius had fallen behind by just 3:30 earlier.  The Crusaders took all the game's momentum into the locker room, despite trailing 27-25 at the break.

 

"We've been in this environment before and when we got down 13, we didn't lose our cool, we just kept battling back one possession at a time," said Husband.

 

A back-and-forth third quarter ended with the Crusaders on a 10-2 run, scoring the final six points to take a 39-35 lead into the final stanza.  Nwora struck from long range to start the fourth quarter, met by a dunk from Trueheart that earned him the 'And 1' on the other end, before scoring again to put Canisius up six, 44-38.  The Crusaders were winning the battle of the boards, limiting Park possessions, while keeping their own alive long enough to finish.  With Park making a frenzied attempt to pull even late in the game and the score 54-50 with under one minute to play, Canisius swung the ball to an open Atkinson in the corner, who launched what looked to be the dagger.  However the shot missed - a big break for the Pioneers, except that Trueheart came soaring in to collect the miss, and put it back for the score before he even came down, to make it 56-50.

 

"In the second half we really rebounded well, 'Staff' was amazing on the glass," Husband said.  "I think we just focused a little bit more in that second half."

 

For good measure, Trueheart hustled back in the final minute to earn a rejection in transition, a play that basically sealed the victory and epitomized the incredible effort put forth by the Crusader standout all game.

 

"I knew playing Park, they weren't going to go away, whether it was a minute left or ten seconds left, we had to keep playing to the buzzer," said Trueheart following the game.

 

"He's our backbone and when he plays like that, we're really good," said Husband.  "He's got heart, number one.  He's long, he's athletic, he's skilled - he's got the whole package.  Today, he wanted this one bad and you could see it throughout the entire game."

 

Park coach Michael Battaglia was gracious in defeat.  He remarked about how far the program had come in just a few years, from last place in the IAC, to competing for first in the Monsignor Martin.  He saw the loss as a chance to grow as a team and looked forward to how his players would respond in the coming days.  He also gave Canisius its due.

 

"They were the better team and deserved to win,"  Battaglia said.  "We didn't have an answer for 'Staff', which surprised me.  I think we lost focus and allowed him to dominate the offensive glass, and that was the difference."

 

Point Totals

Canisius: Stafford Trueheart 28, Justin Jones 13, Madut Ayiy 6, Will Atkinson 5, Charles Hart 2, Colby Moultrie 2

Park:  Kyle Harris 18, Jordan Nwora 13, Noah Hutchins 10, Joe Jones 7, Hunter Anderson 5

 

-centercourt

Comments

[J_hawkins0201]

Canisius is a tough team. I feel like number 10 for Park should play a lot more, he was a starter in the beginning of the year, and put up good number for the pioneers I don't know what happened. When he's on the court the whole team is clicking. Canisius out coached Battaglia.

[Johnk0243]

I agree with j_hawkins0202. Cottrell is a smart player that makes little to no mistakes when he's in the game. Gave them great senior production the couple of times I've seen him play. Kid is a stud.

[PJB]

Difference in the game was Trueheart. No one has had an answer for him in his entire varsity career, he is the primary reason Canisius has been the elite team in WNY for the last three years.

[Inotalent]

Ethan Cottrell--a WNY Brave--is a selfless player that every kid that played with him on The Braves--absolutely loves!---including CHS players and WNY Braves --Justin Jones and Will Atkinson ---but moreover--he is a respectful and engaging young man---who's future is very bright!

There were AT LEAST 14 players on that floor that will play in College--players coming off the bench--like Ethan--would be starters in any other program--

Park and CHS are truly --The Two Best---

[wnyfan1980s]

Park was outcoached baddddddddddddddd....They have supreme talent over the Crusaders, Husband gets it done point blank. He has a group of hard working kids and one stud. Park let canisius control the tempo of the game with the athletes Park have they should have made life hard on the ballhandlers of Canisius , but did not. Canisius ball handlers are very limited, yet were given opportunity to walk the ball up court with minimal pressure until late in the game. Truehart killed them on the boards they should play two bigs together more often. They also run nothing to get Jordan open for looks the kid on canisius had him visibly frustrated from the time he stepped into the game, run some staggered screens some downscreens anything to get him open.Park gets a "D" for coaching. Not taking anything away from Canisius but talent is not the same , but hard work and coaching was in their corner. Jones on Canisius was huge btw.

[Wnyfinest]

Truehart down the stretch was huge for the crusaders. Park had no answer for him, tried to put Anderson on him which worked to an certain extent. Nwora was so irritated that he started to throw up a couple of bad shots that put the pioneers in a hole they couldn't get out of. Cottrell on Park is a solid ball player. Saw him play against Middle College and BK, both games had double figures and by far was their best defensive stopper. One of the best in WNY if you ask me. Shut down the likes of, All WNY Tc Brown in the fourth quarter, contained Temple commit Quiteton Rose of Bishop Kearney, although he's about 6'1-6'2 he's an excellent defensive stopper and a hard worker on the offensive side of the ball as well. Can shoot when open and one of the best finishers around the area. Reason for him not to be in the game? Beats me. Husband out coached Battaglia by a long shot. Hopefully Battaglia will have an answer by February 3.

[balll1234]

I don't think coaching mattered on either side. Canisius relies on what they have relied on since the days of Matt hart and Adam weir which is consistently having the best player on the floor. Stafford dominated both sides of the ball and il ultimately the reason why they were able to win.

[Kevin Durant]

Ethan Cotrell did play against Canisius. Maybe you forgot the awkward looking three he shot up that hardly even caught the rim. I thought maybe you people were joking about him at first. Was lucky to play as much as he did while Jones was hurt. Don't kid yourself he wouldn't start anyplace else in the Monsinor accept maybe st. Francis. Definetly wouldnt play at Canisisus.

[Kevin Durant]

Now you got me thinking about it. The reason he don't play is probably because of all the things you say he does so well, but he doesnt. Takes bad shots, turns the ball over and thinks he better than he is. Ok on defense but i think Hunter, Harris, and noah are all better on defense. With all the talent at Park and now that Joe is back I don't think he will play much in any close games.

[Bobcat]

It is clear that some people on this board have a clear agenda to discredit Battaglia and push for Ethan to start. I get it but both of these are weak argument.

First of all I have had the pleasure to watch Ethan all season and he is a good player but just not needed enough to start. There are several players better than him. Even Noah is better than him at the PG position where Ethan is below average at best. Him coming off the bench is the right decision. I mean Park is a team not an individual player. There are certainly enough egos on that team to make playing tough but they will get nowhere unless they come together as a team.

On the Battaglia argument, I would not say he was outcoached because he did not pressure Canisius players. We can attached the loss to just one thing....2nd chance points. Park got killed on the offensive glass which were converted into points. That is effort not coaching. The fact that none of Parks bigs and smalls put a body on their opponents is the only reason Canisius won. Staff is athletic but if boxed out properly this game would have been a rout of Canisius. Give credit where it is due and this rivalry is great for Buffalo basketball. Enjoy it while you can. Next game will be barn burner at Canisius. Could Ethan have stopped Staff is the real question. I do not think his added presence would have had any chance of negating the impact that Staff had in the game.

[wnyfan1980s]

I understand what your saying ball1234 , but those years Canisius always had strong ballhandlers. This year they don't. And Truehart scored mostly on lobs and offensive glass and running the floor. Boxing out, getting back on defense and knowing where the best player on the floor is at are all coaching or lack of coaching. Truehart is not going to beat you off the bounce or with jumpshots , he is a energy guy with a high motor that never stops ...Box outtttttttt

[Inotalent]

Last year everyone was quick to point out---"Howard left, so there is no point guard now"
How did that work out? NYS Class A Federation Champs!
So that is how you beat CHS? Nice try.
Forgive me if I missed it, but I did not see Park, nor Aquinas, nor Timon, nor McKinley, nor B Kearney-Etc-taking the ball from CHS guards--

Strong guards?--there are five of them- FIVE-Atkinson, Jones, Shake, Moultrie and Johnson--all you have to do is ask....Park, Will South, Aquinas, McKinley.....etc

[ball1234]

In regards to the comment above, look at the height of those "guards". This is the biggest team Canisius has ever had. Imagine if the teams in the past would have had players like Stafford, Madut Ayiy, Jones and Johnson. I remember during the years Weir and Mcdonald played, their starting center was Ryan Richards. Great player and athlete but he was barely 6'2. Atkinson is nearly the same size. The stye of play is completely different than past years but the premise remains the same, they always have the best players on the floor.