Monmouth (NJ) beats Canisius 60-54

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Justin Robinson scored 16 points as No. 4 seed Monmouth (NJ) beat No. 5 seed Canisius 60-54 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals on Saturday.

Deon Jones and Andrew Nicholas added 11 points apiece for the Hawks (18-14) who advance to play No. 1 Iona in the semifinals on Sunday.

A Jeremiah Williams layup early in the second half helped put Canisius up 39-34 with 13:29 to play. But Robinson answered with a 3-pointer to spark a 13-0 surge to give the Hawks a 47-39 advantage with 8:36 remaining. A pair of 3-pointers by Kassius Robertson helped Canisius close the gap to two points, 56-54, with 26 seconds to go before Jones sank 4 of 4 from the line in the final seconds to keep Monmouth out front for the win.

Williams scored 18 points and grabbed three boards for the Griffins (16-14).