Nick Purdie '25 had 15 points, surpassed the career 1,000-point mark and netted a great floater in overtime to earn MVP honors and help lead Canisius its 20th Manhattan Cup with a 51-49 victory over St. Joe's Saturday evening in the Manhattan Cup championship at Canisius University.
The Crusaders' win also gave them their 11th Manhattan Cup Championship under Kyle Husband, in his 21st season since taking over as coach in 2004-05. Canisius won two of the three rivalry games this season, all of which came with St. Joe's ranked No. 1 and Canisius No. 2.
CHS (22-4) will face the Long Island champion in the New York State Catholic High Schools Athletic Association Class A semifinals at 4 p.m. Friday at New York City's Christ the King High School in Queens. The semifinal will be livestreamed at
youtube.com/@christthekinghighschoolny.
Friday's winner will advance to the NYSCHSAA Class A championship Saturday at 1 p.m. against St. John's Prep of Queens at Fordham University's Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx.
Canisius took the lead early in the second quarter, had a double-digit lead for much of the second half, and never trailed the rest of the game.
Patrick Cullinan '25 and brother
Jack Cullinan '27 each scored 10 points.
Patrick Enright '25 (six points) was great inside while
Johnny Esposito '25,
Ondre Foster '26 and
Sam Atkinson '25 each hit big threes while
Jahyden Clark '25 led another tremendous Crusader defensive effort.
These excellent photos are by outstanding CHS Digital Media photographer Noah Morlock '25 (@morlockprod).
See the rest of the Crusaders' top-flight schedule, roster with head shots and bios, photo galleries and much more at the unparalleled canisiussports.com
Families interested in CHS Basketball and the excellence only found in a Jesuit education at Canisius – ranked as the Buffalo area's "Best Catholic School" by Business First – can learn more by arranging an on-campus experience via canisiushigh.org/visit
This place is special. Let us show you why.
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