ITHACA, N.Y. -- Sophomore Nazir Williams posted his first career double-double to lead six Cornell men's basketball players in double figures as the Big Red topped Canisius 79-70 on Tuesday evening at Newman Arena. Cornell improved to 4-1 on the season and extended its non-conference win streak to 10 games in the process, while the Golden Griffins fell to 2-3.

Williams posted 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, recording career highs in the latter two categories, as the Big Red won its fourth straight. Guy Ragland Jr. posted 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals and Greg Dolan notched 11 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. The trio of Keller Boothby, Isaiah Gray and Chris Manon notched 10 apiece for Cornell, who turned the ball over a season-low nine times and shot 49 percent from the floor overall. The home team collected 10 steals, outrebounded Canisius 38-33 and held a double figure lead for nearly  all of the second half. 

Jordan Henderson hit six triples en route to 24 points to lead the visitors, with Tahj Staveskie (15 points, six assists) and Jamir Moultire (11 points) also reaching double figures. Canisius shot 53 percent from the floor and assisted on 19 baskets.

Cornell led 45-34 at the break and by as many as 15 in the second half, only to see the visitors hit six consecutive 3-pointers to claw within five with under two minutes remaining. Williams hit a step-through floater in the lane with 1:13 left to curb the run and allow the Big Red some breathing room.
   

First Half

• The teams traded baskets over the first several minutes before an 11-3 Big Red run turned a narrow lead into a 22-11 edge midway through the half.
• Eight Big Red players scored and Cornell collected eight steals over the first 7:24 to set the tone.
• The Golden Griffins cut that lead to 22-18 with a 7-0 spurt, but Max Watson hit a 3-pointer and Isaiah Gray scored on a driving layup after an offensive rebound to stabilize the home team.
• Leading by eight at 31-23, Chris Manon scored seven straight on his own to give Cornell a 15-point bulge.
• Canisius again bit into the lead and narrowed it to six, but the home team scored the final five points of the half, the final three on a trey by Ragland, to make it 45-34 at halftime.
Cornell turned the ball over just three times in the first 20 minutes to overcome 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc by Canisius.
 

Second Half

• Cornell maintained a double-figure lead much of the second half thanks to its defense, which held the Golden Griffins to 47 percent shooting.
• The visitors made six consecutive 3-pointers late to throw a scare into the Big Red, but that came after missing 11 of its first 12 of the half.
• Williams was especially impactful in the second half for the Big Red, scoring eight points with seven rebounds and three assists after the break.
 

Next Up

• Cornell will return to action after Thanksgiving when it travels to meet Monmouth on Friday, Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. at the OceanFirst Bank Center in West Long Branch, N.J.
• The contest will be broadcast live on FloSports.
• The Hawks lead the all-time series 2-0, including winning the last meeting 76-61 on Nov. 22, 2016 at OceanFirst Bank Center.