Niagara Falls native Jermaine Crumpton dropped 31 points on Buffalo, carrying Canisius past the UB Bulls 94-87in overtime to secure the Griffs fourth straight win.
The victory was also the first for Canisius Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon, who faced his former team for the first time since returning to the Queen City.
Witherspoon was the head coach at Buffalo for 14 seasons before being fired in 2013.
.@GriffsCoachRW facing his former team @UBmenshoops at #Big4Hoops. #Bulls lead #Griffs 30-27 w/ 7:59 left in 1H @WKBW pic.twitter.com/Ute3Q1LftX
— Nick Filipowski (@NICK_WKBW) December 17, 2016
The 31 points by Crumpton are the most inside of KeyBank Center since Steph Curry scored 30 in the NCAA Tournament in 2007.
"It felt good," Crumpton said after the win and being the first to score 30 since Curry. "It was a good game, but without my teammates we wouldn't have gotten this win."
UB led by as many as nine in the first half, before a Crumpton three pulled the Griffs within 49-46 at half.
.@Griffs_MBB @Crumppp_ hits buzzer beater to end half! @WKBW pic.twitter.com/IkEUQxr54p
— Nick Filipowski (@NICK_WKBW) December 17, 2016
"We told the guys, if we play hard we'll get a lead," Head Coach Nate Oats said. "We know they'll continue to play hard but will we continue to play hard after you get a lead? We didn't. They outplayed us effort wise."
"Coach told us this would be (Canisius') Super Bowl. Some of us laughed it off like, 'yeah, whatever,' and they came in and kicked our butt," UB forward Willie Conner said.
The Bulls will try to rebound when they face Robert Morris on Dec. 21, while the Griffs will go for their fifth straight win when they battle St. Bonaventure on Dec. 22.
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