Manhattan was held without a point for a full five minutes in the first half. Kyle Griffin came off the bench to score a season high 12 points with four 3-pointers to lead the Saints to a seven point lead heading into halftime. Griffin’s 3’s turned out to be the only ones for the team for the remainder of the game.

For the majority of the second half Siena’s lead hovered around six to seven points. Alex Franklin also had a season high in points with 27, to go along with his 10 rebounds. Ryan Rossiter added 16 points and 13 rebounds as the Saints’ front court seemed to score at will. Edwin Ubiles was unable to play due to nagging injuries to his back and shoulder. Owen Wignot also left late in the game because of what appeared to be a head injury. Siena connected on 20 free throws, with the last four coming in the final seconds to seal the win.

Rico Pickett led Manhattan with 20 points, but no other player finished in double figures. With 5:27 left the Jaspers went on a 9-1 run to pull within three points. However, Manhattan’s well documented struggles in tight games plagued them again as they could only come up with one point in the final 1:35. This is the team’s fourth straight loss.

The Loyola Greyhounds, the team who last beat Siena at home, gave the shorthanded Saints their toughest fight in the MAAC season thus far. Siena trailed by as many as nine early to the Loyola Greyhounds, who were the last team to beat Siena at the Times Union Center on February 16, 2008.

Alex Franklin, who scored a team-high 22 points, scored 14 straight Siena points in the second half to bring the Saints within two. Ryan Rossiter, who had his fifth straight double double, made a jumper to tie the game at 60. Rossiter had a team-high 12 rebounds and 12 points.

Siena struggled with a short bench, playing only seven tonight, and appeared out of sync in the first half. Siena played only O.D. Anosike and Owen Wingot off the bench. Loyola scored 13 bench points, while Siena’s bench played 17 minutes, scoring only 6 points.

Loyola was without their two high scorers, Brett Harvey and Jamal Barney. The Greyhound’s offensive was centered around guard Brian Rudolph who finished with 13 points, and Shane Walker also added 13 points.

Edwin Ubiles scored 18 points 6 of 10 shooting while battling his back issues. Clarence Jackson struggled, shooting 1 for 10 from the field. Ronald Moore had 7 points and 7 assists.

Siena’s winning streak of 32 straight home wins is the second longest streak in the nation.

Edwin Ubiles Postgame Reactions: Video on SienaSaintsBlog.com

The Siena Saints (12-4, 5-0) host the Canisius Golden Griffins (8-8, 3-2) at the Times Union Center, 7pm Monday night.  The game will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable channel 3.  The Saints are tied for the third longest home court winning streak in the country at 29 with Dayton and Pittsburgh, behind Kansas (51) and Missouri (30), and will also try to extend their unbeaten streak against Canisius to nine in a row.   This isn’t quite the same Griffs team the Saints have faced in recent memory, though.

Canisius was picked to finish seventh in the MAAC conference by the coaches in the preseason men’s basketball poll, but the team has responded well early in the season.  Their non-conference wins may not be flashy, but a win at home against an improving Iona team served notice to other conference foes that the Griffs are here to compete this year– tied for third in the MAAC.

The Griffs are led by versitile 5′10″ senior guard Frank Turner.  A true stat stuffer, Turner leads the league in scoring with 17 points per game, averages 5.1 assists per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, and 2.3 steals per game.  Turner is the cornerstone of the team, and while names like Ubiles, Franklin, Thompson, Lewis, Harvey, and Benn may be thrown in to the hat for Player of the Year consideration, Frank Turner has to be at or near the top of the list.  He is a consistent and dynamic performer, and a huge reason why the Golden Griffins are working their way up the conference ladder for the first time in a long time.

Turner is followed in scoring by 6′4″ junior guard Julius Coles, who is averaging 15.1 points per game, and 6′7″ junior forward Greg Loggins who is averaging 10.9 points per game.  One of the key things to watch in this matchup though is going to be the battle of the boards – while Siena outrebounds it’s opponents 39-35.6 each game the Griffs also have a positive advantage in team rebounding, edging their opponents 37.8-35.6 per game.  The X-Factor for the Saints in this game may be the balanced scoring of its team, and if the Griffs can’t fully scheme for it and keep them off the glass then it may be a difficult night for them.

Siena’s scoring race has been as fun to watch as a Saratoga race card – Edwin Ubiles and Alex Franklin are now tied for the lead with 15.3 per game.  While Clarence Jackson is as explosive as anyone on the team, he is sometimes an anomaly – he has led or tied for the lead in scoring in six games this year, but also threw in a few head scratchers.  As impressive as his defense has been at times this year, his defensive intensity and rare carelessness with decision making on the court has found him in coach McCaffery’s dog house on a couple of occasions.  Meanwhile, junior Ryan Rossiter is the stalwart down low, averaging almost a double-double with 12.6ppg and 9.8rpg.  No one man is called upon to shoulder the load night in and night out.  What is most likely going to be the linchpin for this team down the stretch is the now evident emergence of its bench players.

Sophomore guard Kyle Downey seems to have completely returned from a back injury during the offseason and looks like a completely different player – while he is not shooting prolifically from three-point range he is hitting crucial field goals, and his defense and rebounding has stepped up in the minutes he gets to spell the starters.  Freshman forward OD Anosike had the best game of his early career on Saturday against Niagara, scoring 6 points, and grabbing 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in 22 minutes of play.  If Coach McCaffery can continue to get production from these two and set a solid 7-man rotation, then any other quality minutes he can get from reserves Kyle Griffin, Davis Martens, and Jonathan Breeden will be icing on the cake.  It looks like the depth issue that hindered the Saint’s chances to get an ‘up’ non-conference win early in the season may be behind them as the squad looks to make a strong run through the MAAC schedule.

KEYS TO THE GAME

• Let’s Get Physical?: The Saints continue to rank high in the nation in fewest fouls committed, 5th currently with 14.4 per game – that stat is going to be tested by the strong and physical Golden Griffins.  If the Saints can absorb the contact and not get in to foul trouble while maintaining an edge in rebounding then they should have a great shot at getting the win.
• How Much Can You Bench?: The Saints almost got themselves in to uncharacteristic foul trouble against Niagara, but the reserves did a fine job logging minutes and producing quality play.  Downey and Anosike will continue to be the first two off the bench, but in this game the play of sophomore forward Owen Wignot and freshman forward Davis Martens could prove to be even more valuable if coach McCaffery finds a way to extend the bench even more.  The size and athleticism of Wignot and Martens could give different looks for the Saints against the physicality and post prowess of the Griffs.
• More Cowbell?  How About More Free Throws?: The Saints still average a paltry free throw shooting percentage of 65.4% halfway through the season, but they have averaged better than 70% in their last few games.  For a team that gets to the line as much as they do, and as much as they should on Monday night, the improved free throw shooting is a welcome sight.

NOTES

• The Saints are outscoring their opponents 79.2-61.8 in the friendly confines of the Times Union Center.  Who doesn’t long for someone to put up some big bucks and re-name it the Knickerbocker Arena again?
• Siena has a +17 scoring advantage in MAAC games, winning each MAAC contest by double digits, and the team leads the league in scoring, margin of victory, field goal percentage, rebounding, assists, and steals.
• While the Saints went 16-2 in conference last year, and are certainly trying to at least reach that mark again this year, the record for consecutive victories belongs to the 1988-99 squad who won 14 in a row.

Siena jumped out early to a 7-0 lead, only to allow Niagara answer with seven straight points of their own. Edwin Ubiles was held out of the starting lineup due to punishment for arriving late to a meeting, team free throw shooting drills, the day before. Kyle Downey got the start as Ubiles was kept on the bench until the 12:33 mark. The Saints established their front court advantage early and often throughout the game with Alex Franklin and Ryan Rossiter getting plenty of attempts. Niagara overcome ten first half turnovers to only trail Siena by one, 42-41 heading into half.

The second half began with Alex Franklin getting his third foul and coming out of the game. While initially this appeared to be a blow to the Saints, the team responded with a 9-0 run within five minutes of the start of the half to put Niagara on their heels. After that, the closest the Purple Eagles got to Siena was six points, which was quickly followed by a 6-0 Saints run to essentially put the game out of reach. Despite missing nearly ten minutes of the first half, Ubiles led all scorers with 25 points and at times was unstoppable on the offensive end. Alex Franklin contributed 20 points – 10 from the foul line – even though he was doubled, and even tripled teamed, whenever he received the ball in the post. Ryan Rossiter added another double-double performance with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

For the Purple Eagles it was a tale of two halves. After shooting 48.5% from the field to start off the game, they only shot 23.5% in the second half and scored just 24 points. The first half saw six lead changes and four ties, but this quickly dissipated as the Saints never lost their lead after the 17:15 mark. Tyrone Lewis had the best game for Niagara with 21 points and was the most consistent offensive threat for the team. Anthony Nelson added 15 points, and Rob Garrison had 10 points for the Purple Eagles.

A huge factor in this game was the role of Siena’s bench, which outscored Niagara 35-8. While this number may be distorted due to Ubiles coming off the bench, the role of the usual substitutes can not be overlooked. Downey played nearly 30 minutes and hit a significant 3-pointer during a Saints run. O.D. Anosike had perhaps the best game of his career putting up 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots. Owen Wignot played a physical 12 minutes and was a solid defensive presence in the second half. Another positive aspect from this game was Siena’s foul shooting as they went 20-27 from the line.

Due to his size, athleticism, and outside shooting skills Edwin Ubiles is certainly a hybrid player who can play multiple positions within the course of a game. While many expected Ubiles to dominate right out the gate, a series of nagging injuries has prevented this from happening. While his 12.4 ppg may not be on par with his offensive talent, there have been decent stretches in games where Edwin could not be stopped. Ubiles is coming off back to back 19 point efforts against Iona and Northern Iowa, and these numbers will hopefully continue as his health improves. Owen Wignot has done a more than serviceable job substituting in for the small forward position. One noticeable development has been his shooting range as he has made the most 3’s out of the bench players. His jumping skills have been well-documented, but he is taking the steps toward being a much more complete basketball player.

SG/SF Grade: B-

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s official blogger, Steve Amedio combines his years of experience covering the MAAC with insightful opinions on his site: Keepin’ Track of the MAAC. Recently he outlined all ten teams and how they’ve fared so far, finishing with Marist. In our first part, we get his evaluations on the Saints so far this season. We’ll have more conversation on the MAAC with Steve Amedio as Siena breaks after visiting Northern Iowa…

Ryan/Siena Saints Blog: I think Siena has been very good at beating the teams they’re supposed to beat: going undefeated at home so far but dropping games to the likes of Temple, St. John’s and Georgia Tech. I think Saturday’s game at Northern Iowa is a real test and if Siena can pull off the win, it would be the statement win of this third of the season (Siena will be off 12 days after that game) What’s your evaluation of Siena so far?

Steve Amedio/Keepin’ Track of the MAAC: Pretty much as expected. The three losses have come against very good teams, and all on the road. Siena clearly wore down against both Temple and St. John’s late in the games. I didn’t think they’d beat Georgia Tech. I keep in contact with Paul Hewitt, and I knew they were going to be real good this season. They’ve got two or three future NBA players on that roster.

Siena needs to find some depth so it can be fresh at the end of close games.

Kyle Downey had back problems over the summer and didn’t work out at all until September. He wasn’t 100 percent when the season started. Owen Wignot didn’t give them much in the first few games, although he’s started to play better. Kyle Griffin, the transfer 6-3 guard from La Salle, becomes eligible for the Dec. 23 game, and he should help. I’ve been told he’s been looking great in practices, a real coach on the floor type with great range who can also play some time at the point. Davis Martens, who is from Germany, is eligible as of Dec. 31. He’s a 6-9 forward with good “skills.” He can shoot.

Otherwise, Siena has looked terrific of late. Its win over UAlbany was the best it has played all year, particularly on the defensive end. It had a nice win at Iona, which is a pretty solid team. Moore makes the team go. I’ve  covered the team since 1985. He is the best “pure” point guard I have seen here. He’s not as good a player as, say, Marc Brown or Doremus Bennerman, both of which played the same position. But, as far as running a

team [and] being a distributor, Moore is the best I’ve seen. The fact that he leads the country in assists attests to that.

As for Northern Iowa, I guess you could call it the chance at a “statement” win. Northern Iowa is very good, 6-1 so far and has beaten Boston College, Iowa and Iowa State, three quality victories.

That said, Siena hammered Northern Iowa here last year. Northern Iowa plays a very deliberate style. If Siena can force the tempo, like it did last year, it has a decent chance of winning. Last year, Northern Iowa’s “bigs” were pretty much non factors; they couldn’t contend with the quickness of Ryan Rossiter [and] Alex Franklin.

Still, they’ve pretty much got everyone back from last year so they’re better. That’s a long trip for a single game and it’s a tough place to play. It would be a very nice win if Siena can get it, but it won’t be anywhere as easy to do that as it was last year.

Despite CJ quickly getting into foul trouble, he finished up with a nice game. After leading by three at half, the Saints were able to go on a series of runs to push their lead over ten points. Edwin Ubiles had 14 second half points to lead all players with 19 points. Ryan Rossiter and Alex Franklin were both great under the basket with Rossiter getting 15 points and Franklin ending up with 11 points. O.D. Anosike played solid again as he is becoming the team’s consistent forward substitute, and Owen Wignot contributed 7 points off the bench. Ronald Moore’s impact wasn’t seen in the box score, but his ability to beat any kind of pressure is what makes their offense go.

No Iona player scored in double digits with Jonathan Huffman, Scott Machado, and Ben Mockford all scoring 9 points. This is Iona’s fourth loss within five games. While the Gaels played stingy defense for most of the game, they appeared to lack the scoring ability to keep up with Siena.

A MAAC road win is never something to take for granted, and it was nice to see Siena handle business. Let’s hope the upcoming break in their schedule will help the players heal up.

It’s a great opportunity for our players and for their players to play in front of that kind of crowd. – Fran McCaffery

An interesting note is that Siena and UAlbany players train and practice together throughout much of the summer, and many of them are good friends. Despite the close relationships, the Saints don’t plan on taking it easy against UAlbany.

You’re always competitive against your friends. – Ronald Moore

As documented, a big factor will be the questionable status of Edwin Ubiles, but both the players and coaching staff are confident that Owen Wignot will be a solid replacement if Ubiles is unable to go Saturday.

Clarence Jackson led the way, Siena’s only double digit scorer with 19 points, made 3 of Siena’s 4 three pointers in the game. Jackson (3 of 14) from three point range shot better than the rest of the Saints combined (1 for 14).

Jackson took 24 shots, making just 6. Jackson’s 24 shots were more than Ronald Moore,  Ryan Rossiter and Alex Franklin combined (who combined to go 6 for 22). Siena went 4 of 28 from the three point arc and 43.9% from inside the arc (18 of 41).

Owen Wingot struggled in his first start this season scoring 7 points on 2 of 8 shooting and fouling out in 24 total minutes.

Georgia Tech went on a 7-0 run in just over two minutes to take a 59-47 lead with 6:41 to go, capped by a Mfon Udofia three pointer. Udofia led the way for Georgia Tech with 26 points and made 5 of 8 three pointers.

Siena shot a 34.7% eFG%, their lowest of the season while Georgia Tech shot a 53.6% eFG%.