The Saints stormed out of the gate in the second half, going on a 17-4 run to open up their largest lead of the night at 17 with 7:16 left in the game. The Saints shot 45.3% from the field (24-53) despite turning the ball over 20 times.

Ryan Rossiter finished with another double double– 14 points and 16 rebounds and played all 40 minutes of action.

Clarence Jackson led the Saints with 17 points on 5-10 shooting for a Saints team that made half of their three pointers (8-16).

Trenity Burdine led the Saints bench with 12 points and 3 of Siena’s 7 steals. O.D. Anosike notched his 5th double-double of the year with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Troy Barnies led the Maine Black Bears with 14 points and 9 rebounds.

The Saints will aim to keep positive momentum as they travel to Fairfield Friday night in an ESPN2 game.

It was also the beginning of the end for the Saints.

Although the JumboTron showed 6:07 remaining and the score knotted at 47, the Siena Saints couldn’t overcome the loss of Anosike in the front court and fell to the St. Peter’s Peacocks, 67 – 57, on Wednesday night.

The final score belied the nature of the contest, a hardscrabble, tooth-and-nail affair that pitted Siena star forward Ryan Rossiter against the long arms and springy legs of the St. Peter’s frontcourt.

In the postgame press conference, St. Peter’s head coach John Dunne said that his game plan revolved around making life miserable for Rossiter.

At the end of the day, our focus is [on] Rossiter,” he said. “What I said before the game [was], ‘Rossiter is going to score twenty [points] and get 12 or 13 rebounds, but how hard are you going to make him work [for them]? The harder he has to work [for them, the less opportunities there will be] for other guys.

Even though Rossiter made some big shots, like he normally does, I thought we did a good job [of] crowding him and making him miss a few key ones. We crowded him and doubled him a few times. We forced him into a couple of contested shots that just kind of rimmed out.

Rossiter did his part, scratching and clawing for team highs of 21 points and 16 rebounds, earning both the hard way. But he sure could have used some more help on the glass, especially at the end.

That’s why losing teammate Anosike to foul trouble hurt so much.

Mitch Buonaguro described the game as a grinder and admitted it all came down to the last few minutes.

Given the chance to measure itself against a M.A.A.C. title contender, Siena came up short yet again.

Senior guard Clarence Jackson added 13 points on 6-13 shooting, while point guard Rakeem Brookins returned to the starting lineup and added 11 points on 5-9 shooting to go along with three assists.

However, as a team, Siena shot a dreadful 33.9% from the field. The Saints also shot themselves in the foot by coughing up 16 turnovers. The Peacocks shot a similarly woeful 34.3% from the field and had ten turnovers, but managed to make enough plays when they needed them to secure the victory. Rossiter and company battled St. Peter’s to a virtual standstill on the glass, with the Peacocks enjoying a slim 42-41 rebounding advantage, but anyone in attendance could tell you that St. Peter’s played a rugged, high-energy defensive game. That emphasis on rebounding and defense played a critical role in the game’s closing minutes.

I thought we just did a good job with energy,” St. Peter’s head coach John Dunne said. “That’s our philosophy, every game, regardless [of] who our opponent is. For us, we’re just trying to play hard and focus on the defense end, game in and game out, regardless of who our opponent is.

Siena has now dropped four contests in a row. What makes this trend particularly problematic is that it appears more likely now that Siena will finish in a lower slot than the top six teams in the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference heading into the M.A.A.C. postseason conference tournament. If the Saints end up as a seventh seed or lower, they will have to play an additional play-in game, which increases their odds of being sent home early. Only one team has ever won the tournament despite having to play their way in. Siena pulled off the feat successfully in 2002, but will no doubt love to avoid being placed in that precarious position this year.

There’s fight left in these Saints, but unless they can find a way to convert willpower to wins, it appears the Saints will limp across the finish line.

SEEN & HEARD

Before the game, forward Ryan Rossiter earned himself a standing ovation from the 7,204 fans in attendance. Rossiter was awarded a game ball for his efforts in securing the title of Siena’s all-time leading rebounder…

Erik Etherly and Robert Olson led the Greyhounds with 15 points each for a team that shot 19-35 (54.3%) from two-point range and made four of their seven three pointers in the second half. The Greyhounds shot an astounding 7-13 (53.8%) from inside the arc in the second half and made 4-6 from behind the arc.

Senior Ryan Rossiter led the Saints with 23 points and 20 rebounds while Clarence Jackson struggled, shooting just 2-12 from the field, scoring 5 points. Jackson has played in five of Siena’s last eight games, shooting just 31.4% (17-54) from the field.

Rossiter became Siena’s all-time leading rebounder with his 20 rebound performance. It also marked the second time this season Rossiter picked up 20+ rebounds in a game, a feat he last made in Siena’s 86-77 Overtime loss at Princeton.

The Greyhounds took more free throws than the Saints attempted, making 17-21 (76.9%) while the Saints made just 7-10 (70%).

The Saints are 6-6 at home this season and 7-6 in the MAAC.

Siena’s shooting woes have got to be frustrating for both the players and coaching staff.   The team was not taking a ton of low percentage shots, it is unexplainable how your post players (exluding Ryan Rossiter) shoot 1-11 from the field.   It does not matter how great of a gameplan you put together, if you do not put the ball in the hoop, more often than not you are going to wind up on the losing end.

As a team how do you go about correcting the obvious shooting woes? A very difficult question to answer besides staying positive, telling the guys to trust in their shot, not to dwell on the misses, most importantly continue to hustle, and eventually the shots will fall.

This team has shown that it has the talent to win tough ball games and the desire to compete even without Rossiter’s co-senior, Clarence Jackson.  Evident once again on Monday night as they rallied from a dismal 1st half performance with a 16-0 run early in the 2nd half to take a 36-35 lead.   The question remains is will they be able to establish a model of consistency in the 2nd half of conference play?

Room for Improvement:

Going to refrain from stating the obvious. If you did not see the game last night, 21-71 from the field (29.6%).

Keys to Success:

Midway MAAC POY. Ryan Rossiter’s continued ability to put this team on his back and will the team to compete has been a huge bright spot in a season marred by injury and inconsistency.   Anyone who does not feel he has earned MAAC POY honors please speak up now or forever hold your peace.

Team Defense. The Saints delivered another superb performance on the defensive end as they held the MAAC’s leader in 3’s to a meager 31.8%, well below their season average.   Siena forced 14 turnovers and held Rider to 68 points (7 below their season average).

Five Facts:

1.  Ryan Rossiter was 2-2 from 3 point range, and now has 5 for his career.

2.  Rider outscored Siena 11-0 in fast break points.

3.  Siena attempted 14 more shots than Rider (71-57).

4.  Rider made 3 more shots than Siena (24-21).

5.  The Saints have had 5 multiple game losing streaks this season.

Five Questions:

1.  When was the last time a Siena team was limited to 18 points in a half?

2.  Where does this team go from here?

3.  Will Siena finish higher than their mid season standing of 6th?

4.  Any thoughts on a midterm grade for the Saints?

5.  Will this team play a game all year at full strength?

Five Words:

A team that doesn’t quit.

The lead got as large as 19 on a Nick Leon three pointer with 14:34 to go. From there, the Peacocks hit a big drought; going without a point for 5 minutes and 19 seconds. That allowed Siena to take all the momentum and creep back into the game.

The Saints used their defense to transition into offense, getting into the lane and drawing fouls. Siena cut the lead to 5 when John Dunne got a technical foul, and continued to pour on points at the free throw line. St. Peter’s then got a three point play with 3:15 to go to put the lead at 7 and the Saints just could not catch up.

Siena did trail by 3 with 1:07 to go when Mitch Buonaguro intelligently had Owen Wignot foul Ryan Bacon, a 56% free throw shooter, but unfortunately, he hit both. Bacon had a monster game, closing the night with 25 points and 15 rebounds, along with 6 blocks, 4 steals and 2 assists. St. Peter’s senior guard Wesley Jenkins finished with 17 points.

Rossiter closed with yet another double-double; 21 points and 16 rebounds. Trenity Burdine and Stephen Priestly saw extended minutes today none of the key players in Wignot, Downey, and Jackson were on the floor for the Saints’ second half run. Clarence left the game when he aggravated his left ankle.

Siena has not won a game where their opponents have scored more than 70 points, they are 0-8. The Peacocks snapped an 8 game losing streak against the Saints.

The Peacocks boast a BCS win over Alabama earlier in the season, but they find themselves in the middle of the conference and tied with Siena in fifth place, two games back of Fairfield and Iona who are tied for first.

St. Peter’s is led by their star shooting guard Wesley Jenkins, who is leading the team in scoring with 14 points and averaging about 5 rebounds per game.  There is also plenty of other senior leadership on the team as well.   5’11″ point guard Nick Leon is averaging about 10 points a game, 6’7″ forward Ryan Bacon is an excellent presence inside scoring 8 points a game and grabbing 6 rebounds per game, and 6’6″ forward Jeron Belin is third on the team in scoring with 9 points a game.  The Peacocks will be at a little bit of a size disadvantage to the Saints, though, and for a team that averages only 34 rebounds they will need to find a way to keep up with the Saints on the glass or else the game could get away from them.

The Peacocks are only averaging about 56 points a game, but they are an excellent defensive team, only giving up about 60 points a game.  For a team like Siena, who has had some issues shooting the ball as of late, there will be a need for a concerted effort to get high percentage shots and shoot the ball effectively.

That issue may be resolved more easily now that the Saints have welcomed back Clarence Jackson from injury.  The senior guard helped the Saints to wins over Marist and Canisius the last two games out, scoring 19 and 15 points in each respective contest.  Rahkeem Brookins continues to excel running the point, averaging an assist to turnover ratio of 4:1 over his last six games.  And OD Anosike appears to making the sophomore leap as he has averaged almost 13 points and 10 rebounds over the last four games.

Things are getting better for the Saints, but Owen Wignot’s thumb injury on his shooting hand continues to bother him, and Davis Martens may still be recovering from a sprained ankle.  The Saints will still need to continue to nurse injuries and continue to get the best out of the players and rotations they put on the floor to try and get back in to the MAAC conference race.  Iona and Fairfield are probably not coming back to the pack, so the Saints will need every win that they can get, and a difficult road win at St. Peter’s on Friday night would do a lot to build confidence for the Saints.

Siena will play four of their next five games at home, beginning on Monday night January 24th against the Rider Broncs at the Times Union Center.

There was a significant difference in this game vs. the game out in Buffalo, and not stating the obvious here that Clarence Jackson was back in the lineup, it was the Saints ability to convert turnovers into points.  The tail of the tape:

@ Canisius – 14 forced turnovers, 12 points (-2 differential)
vs. Canisus – 11 forced turnovers, 19 points (+8 differential)

A 10 point swing, and a difference maker in the game.   I do not want to see the Golden Griffs in a first round matchup come March.  They clearly match up well against Siena, and with their experience, are going to be a tough out for anyone that crosses their path.

Siena now boasts a 4-3 record in the league and is in position to make a statement to the rest of the MAAC in a nationally televised game on ESPNU Friday night against an experienced St. Peter’s team who also stands at 4-3.

Room for Improvement:
Extending the Lead. Siena jumped out to lead by as many as 15 and then went into cruise control before grasping to a 7 point lead at the end of the 1st half.  Canisius closed the half on a 9-2 run.  In the 2nd half Siena went up 8 twice with opportunities to extend the lead to double digits, failing to do so each time.

Keys to Success:
Coaching. This team came out of the gates and went right to their strength which is finding a way to get the ball inside.   This opened things up, allowed the team to establish themselves and settle into some very good offensive sets.   Mitch has really started to trust his basketball instincts, making some great moves that have paid off.   The one that stands out the most is having Clarence come off the bench, it allows him to get a sense for the game, so he can adjust and provide an instant spark off the bench.   The Saints played more man to man Monday night and that paid huge dividends as it confused Canisius and limited their production from 3.

The Fab Frosh. I continue to praise “Rahk” Brookins, mainly because he continues to impress night in and night out.  In the 2nd half as play started to move at a frenetic pace and the Saints were making some poor decisions, he steals the ball.  He could have raced to the basket challenging two Canisius defenders, but instead he slows down, lets the team set up in the half court, then finds O.D. Anosike on a great look, who attacks the rim and gets fouled. His stat line yet again was near flawless, 10 pts., 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover.

Five Facts:

1.  Siena is now 6-0 when making more free throws than their opponent attempts.

2.  The Saints are 2-0 since Clarence Jackson returned to the lineup.

3.  Siena made only 3 substitutions in the 2nd half.

4.  Ryan Rossiter has scored 25 or more points 7 times this season.

5.  Saints are now .500 at home, winners of 4 straight.

Five Questions:

1. Who will be the next team to put up more than 70 against the Saints (6 straight games while holding an opponent under 70 pts.)

2.  Why has “Rahk” Brookins not been recognized yet as a MAAC Rookie of the Week?

3.  What will the Saints league record be at the midway point of the MAAC slate?

4.  Will Ryan Rossiter go down as the best post player in Siena history?

5.  When was the last time Siena led the MAAC in scoring defense (currently 3rd)?

Five Words:

Points off turnovers win games.

Ryan Rossiter continues to be the Player of the Year in the MAAC, finishing with 28 points and 10 rebounds. RyRo was really the go to guy all night long. On the other side, Gaby Belardo put up 29 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Clarence was largely ineffective from beyond the arc but hit 2 big three pointers and threw down a huge dunk to seal the game. According to tonight’s radio crew, Clarence was seen getting taped up today and still seems to suffering a lot of pain with that ankle.

Canisius trailed by a point with 32.2 seconds to go, after the Saints had committed a bad foul in the previous possession. However, Belardo took an ill-advised three pointer with about 25 seconds to go and Siena got the ball back.

The coaching move of the evening was Mitch having Clarence Jackson come off the bench as the proverbial sixth man.  It paid off in a huge way as Jackson was hot from the outside hitting 5-7 from three and leading the Saints with a game high 19 points.  

I actually discussed the likelihood of this move with a fellow fan prior to tip, and we thought it would be a great move as CJ has always relished that role, but both shrugged it off like it would never happen.   After the final whistle we were both thinking what a great move in a game that clearly needed some kind of spark.

We can only hope that leaving Clarence Jackson as the sixth man and first off the bench is the anecdote for success for this group of Saints.   It has been clear that something has to start clicking in this roller coaster of a season.   The team has a great chance to re-establish themselves in the MAAC with a revenge win against Canisius on Monday.

Room for Improvement:
Consistency. This team continues to ride different waves of highs and lows.   One night they are able to shoot 94% from the charity stripe and the next they are shooting 54.5%.   One night they are turning the ball over 14 times and 7 the next.  One night they are on fire from beyond the arc and the next night they are shooting bricks.

Keys to Success:
Defense. The proverbial experts always say that defense breeds champions and if that is the case then this team has hope.  They have really come into their own with the 2-3 zone. In their 6 wins they are holding opponents to just 63 points per game.
Guard play. The combination of Brookins and Breeden has been a fun development to watch.  They both continue to provide positive highlights and continue to limit their amount of mistakes each and every game.   In tight games having the luxury for both to be on the floor is something that will reduce the blood pressure of Coach Buonaguro.

Five Facts:
1.  O.D. Anosike made more free throws and at a higher percentage than Ryan Rossiter.
2.  Siena made half as many 3’s as they did free throws (6 and 12).
3.  Saints are now off the snide against teams with an RPI over 200 (1-3).
4. Siena has limited opponents to 63 points per game in their 6 wins and have allowed 74 points in their 10 losses.
5.  Clarence Jackson tied a season high with 5 baskets beyond the arc.

Five Questions:
1.  Will Davis Martens and/or Kyle Griffin be available for Monday?
2.  Will Clarence Jackson remain as the sixth man this year?
3.  When was the last time Ryan Rossiter shot 20% from the free throw line in a game?
4.  How many MAAC wins will Siena have this year?
5.  Will Siena get back to .500 at home on Monday (currently 3-4 @ home, 3 game win streak)?

Five Words:
Welcome back to Clarence Jackson.

Ryan Rossiter showed why he is the pre-season MAAC Player of the Year as he put this team on his shoulders in the second half posting 18 points and outplaying Iona’s Michael Glover who finished with a mere 6 points in the second half.

Rakeem “Rahk” Brookins showed that he has the makings of yet another special player in Siena lure.  With 3:24 left in the game, he hits a three with less than 5 seconds on the shot clock to put the Saints up 64-63, and showed that he has the ability to step up when the game is on the line.

Room for Improvement:

Siena aced a huge test last night.  You would like to see the team come out of the gate a little better because coming back from 14 down will not happen often.  O.D. Anosike’s inconsistency with his ability to stay on the floor due to foul trouble and his inconsistent offensive output (6 points, 1 rebound) is still a cause for concern. Anosike drew his third foul in the middle of the first half and did not return after picking up his fourth foul with 14:49 in the game.

Keys to Success:

Execution down the stretch.   This was a room for improvement topic in after Siena’s loss at St Bonavenutre.  After the last media timeout the Saints went 3-4 from the field, 5-5 from the line, with 1 turnover.

Free Throw shooting. The Saints went 17-18 from the charity stripe and held Iona to only 11 attempts.

The Defense. They held Iona who entered the game as a threat from the outside to only 7-31 (23%) from beyond the arc. disrupting a lot of those attempts on the wings of a 2-3 zone led by the activity of Wignot and Martens.

Five Facts:
1.  Siena is 5-0 this season when making more free throws than their opponent attempts.

2.  Saints are 2-2 with Clarence Jackson out of the lineup.

3.  Siena was +6 in the Assist to turnover department. The Saints have had a positive assist to turnover ratio in each of the last three games.

4.  Saints are on a 3 game home winning streak.

5.  Davis Martens played a season high 24 minutes.

Five Questions:
1.  How long can this team sustain the loss of Clarence Jackson?

2.  When was the last time you saw a media timeout with 5.5 seconds left in a half? (Occurred last night @ the end of the first half)

3.  Will Davis Martens get a start this year?

4.  Is Owen Wignot the heart and soul of this team?

5.  Is Rakeem “Rahk” Brookins in the running for MAAC Rookie of the Year?

Five Words:
MAAC play has officially arrived.