By Maggie Tifft, Assistant Sports Editor
The women’s basketball team ended their 2024-25 season in the first round of the MAAC Championships when the Manhattan Jaspers defeated the Griffs 52–42.
Following a regular season in which the Griffs exceeded expectations with a 9–11 conference record, the team clinched the ninth seed in the tournament, taking Coach Tiffany Swoffard and her new team to their first trip to Atlantic City.
After taking a 13–10 lead in the first quarter, the Griffs looked strong on both ends of the court. When the Jaspers went on a 20–6 scoring run, it proved to be too much for the Griffs to overcome.
Common point leaders for the Griffs like Shariah Gailes, Jaela Johnson and Franka Wittenberg contributed to the team’s 42 points, but freshman forward Yasmine Djibril stood out on both ends of the court, notching eight points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot.
After the game, Coach Swoffard mentioned her gratitude for the opportunity to coach the Griffs, and the fact that this team surpassed the expectations the preseason polls had for the team. “We were picked 13th [in the MAAC Preseason Poll], and by no means were we a No. 13 team. They believed in the process. They worked to elevate their games, and they worked to elevate their level of cohesion to get us into the MAAC Tournament in year one,” said Coach Swoffard.
With this loss, the Griffs 2024-25 season comes to an end, as does Jaela Johnson’s collegiate career. The graduate student ended her final season leading the Griffs in points and three pointers. Coach Swoffard now has a full season under her belt as a head coach, with plenty of success to build off of going into her second season at Canisius.
Photo courtesy of maacsports.com
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