LONG BEACH, Calif. - A 12-point run by the University at Albany in the first half broke the game open as the Great Danes defeated the Canisius women's basketball team 67-47 in the consolation game of the Beach Classic at the Walter Pyramid on Friday night.

Sophomore Kayla Hoohuli led the Golden Griffins with 12 points, the only Canisius player to reach double figures. Freshman Tiahana Mills had a team-high six rebounds while senior Ashley Wilkes recorded a career-high four blocks.

"We just didn't come out to play. I wanted our team to bounce back from a tough loss to Long Beach on Thursday, and we didn't do that at all," Canisius coach Terry Zeh said. "It is easy to play hard when shots are falling, but when they aren't, we don't dig in and get energy from other parts of our game."

Canisius (2-8) tied the game at 6-6 on a 3-pointer from junior Jen Lennox just under five minutes into the game. Albany then held Canisius without a point for five minutes, building a 18-6 lead before a 3-pointer from Hoohuli ended the 12-point run by the Great Danes. Canisius could never trim the lead to fewer than nine points during the rest of the first half as Albany answered the final six Canisius baskets with baskets of their own on the following possession.  

The Griffs scored on their first three possessions of the second half, cutting the deficit to 41-29 on a layup from Wilkes. Albany then scored six straight points and broke the game open as Canisius never got any closer the rest of the way.   

Ebone Henry led Albany (9-3) with 20 points. Sheressha Richards had 15 points and seven rebounds while Julie Forster had 14 points and seven rebounds. Albany out-rebounded Canisius 46-36 (including 20 offensive rebounds), and forced the Golden Griffins into 19 turnovers.

Canisius returns from the Christmas break for its final non-conference game of the regular season, hosting the University of Vermont. Tipoff on Saturday, Dec. 29, in the Koessler Athletic Center is set for 2 p.m.

Notes: Canisius met a non-conference opponent twice in the same season for the first time since the 1994-95 season when the Golden Griffins faced St. Bonaventure on Dec. 6, 1994 and Jan. 24, 1995... Albany has now won the last two meetings between the teams after Canisius defeated the Great Danes each of the last two seasons... Canisius was outscored 34-16 in the paint... Wilkes' previous career high for blocks was three, most recently in last year's MAAC Championship.