If you like the work we do here on Siena Saints Blog, Like Us on Facebook. In fact, if our F-Likes pass the number of followers we have on Twitter by the end of the season, SienaSaintsBlog will give away a pair of Season Tickets to one lucky FLiker.

Siena is also offering a “Saints Starter Pack” for $79. The package includes a game ticket to each of the first four games (Navy, St. Bonaventure, Loyola and UAlbany) in the desirable first nine rows of the second level. The package price represents a savings of $23. The Saints Starter Pack can be purchased in person at the Times Union Center Box Office, or through the Siena Fan Relations Center by calling 518-487-2202.

Update 3:58pm: Edwin Ubiles helped Puerto Rico take home Gold on Sunday at the Pan American Games in Mexico. The Times Union has a bit more and a few photos. Puerto Rico defeated Mexico by a final of 74-72. [Recognize that score anyone?]

The Siena athletic department is offering a limited number of basketball fans a unique VIP opportunity. The Saints Experience includes: the chance to watch a closed practice, dinner at 677 Prime in Albany with the 2011-12 men’s basketball team, a trip to Springfield, Mass. for the Saints game against UMass, and a private tour and reception at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

How do I know? Because the Siena Birthday ticket program covers every month with a game!

Siena continues a promotion which offers a free ticket to a home game depending on when your birthday is.

Vermont (11/13) – November Birthdays
Fairfield (12/10) – December Birthdays
Florida Atlantic (12/13) – September Birthdays
Iona (1/3) – January Birthdays
Canisius (1/17) – March Birthdays
Rider (1/24) – April Birthdays
Niagara (1/30) – May Birthdays
Manhattan (2/4) – February Birthdays
Loyola (2/7) – June Birthdays
Saint Peter’s (2/16) – July Birthdays
BracketBusters (2/19) – October Birthdays
Marist (2/27) – August Birthdays

Sign up using the order form at SienaSaints.com, print the voucher after you submit the form and redeem it at the Times Union Center.

Siena All Access
Tomorrow’s game will be streamed online FREE for your previewing pleasure. Also, you can watch the game on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

http://www.sienaallaccess.com

Uhm, wow, that’s AWESOME. I’m shocked that Siena is one of the first schools to offer this feature, but I’m completely psyched to try it out tomorrow.

The Siena All Access package costs $80 for the year. If you don’t feel like paying, you can always listen to the games online. Last year, if you missed a game, you could log on to SienaAllAccess.com and download the full audio broadcast of a game. This was such an awesome and under promoted feature by Siena. I don’t see anything about it in their Press Release, but we’ll keep our eyes open.

Single Game Tickets
Individual game tickets go on sale Monday at 10am. Tickets can be purchased online at SienaSaints.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. Season tickets are still available at $110 per seat by calling 518-487-2281.

Here’s a stellar speechless promotional video that features a flattering 3 second shot of Josh Duell. Yup– somehow that made the cut.

So the MAAC game now has another splash of corporate in it. I mean, I guess that is the market in Albany, but it’s just so far from what a College Hoops game should be.

Check out this illustration below… this has got bad news written all over it.

Overall this is a really funny way to try and cut down on student seating and attempt to generate extra revenue. Did anybody else notice that the only people that very few people sat in these things when they first launched them 2 MAAC Tournaments ago?

• D’Argenio: Capacity could be higher next season
  

  With average attendance better than 7,400 the past two seasons, Siena may raise its capacity at Times Union Center next year, athletic director John D’Argenio said Thursday.
  The school has hired a sports consulting firm to find an appropriate capacity and to determine which seats should be covered with tarps and curtains.

• Downey aims for MAAC Tournament return
  

  Kyle Downey is hoping to recover from his broken foot in time to return for next month’s MAAC Tournament.
  The sophomore guard, who was injured during practice Jan. 19, said his recovery has gone well since he underwent surgery two weeks ago.

• Meet Firefly
  

  My esteemed colleague, Tom Keyser, wrote a nice feature story on former Siena guard Tay Fisher, now a member of the Harlem Globetrotters.
  In case you missed Fisher’s appearance at Times Union Center earlier this month, check out the video:

The Gaels are led by sophomore G Scott Machado, who is averaging 11.8ppg and 4.2 apg.  He is followed by junior F Alejo Rodriguez and freshman G Kyle Smith, who both average 8.8ppg.  Coach Kevin Willard has developed a young team by preaching defense, and the Gaels have responded – they hold opponents to just under 62ppg on less that 40% shooting.  What the team lacks in size inside they make up for by hot shooting from the outside – Iona shooters are making almost 38% of their shots from 3-point land.  Excitement has returned to New Rochelle, and this team is gunning for the first place Saints.

Meanwhile, the status quo has remained unchanged in Loudonville.  The Saints had all week to prepare for the Gaels after learning that they will face Butler in the Bracketbuster on Saturday, February 20.   The coach and players would have told you what they’ve been telling you all year, though – they truly are taking one game at a time, and all they care about at this moment is beating Iona.  Edwin Ubiles should be back in the starting lineup as he’s been seen practicing with the team all week.  Kyle Downey is still nursing his broken foot and should not be expected back until at least the MAAC Tournament.  What looked like a team who was losing players to injury has seemed to gain experience on the bench.

In what will be the third sell-out of the year, the Times Union Center will be rocking out for the “Gold Rush,” with fans being urged to all wear gold shirts or attire.  Since there are only single tickets left, and few of them at that, the powers that be have decided to  televise the game on Time Warner Cable 1.  Game time is 7:00pm.

First place is not on the line Friday night, but the Gaels want the win – an upset Friday night would go to prove that Siena can be beaten on their home-court, which is what every team is going to need to do if they want to win the MAAC tourney come March.  The Saints want to keep streaking – an at-large bid is still unlikely and would not be likely unless they ran the table, but an unbeaten conference season gets closer with each win.

Friday night may be the big match up of MAAC foes this year where the immovable object meets the unstoppable force – as Iona and Siena renew their conference rivalry fans should be in for a heck of a game.

KEYS TO THE GAME

• A HEALTHY EDWIN IS A HAPPY EDWIN: Eddie scored 15 points off the bench at Marist on Saturday, and looked good doing it.  He was active and energetic, and even though he admits that the shoulder (non-shooting) is sore he knows he can play through it.  While Alex Franklin and Ryan Rossiter have been bearing the brunt of the work (literally) the Saints are going to need as much of Eddie being Eddie as they can get the rest of the season.  He is the X-Factor that each team needs to scheme for, and he’s going to relied on every game the rest of the way.
• HOW DEEP DOES THE BENCH GO?: Right now, it seems to be getting deeper.  During Edwin’s absence Owen Wignot got the starting nod each time – and while he still has yet to build on his athleticism and get in the scoring column more often he has looked terrific on defense and has played very productive minutes.  Right behind him is freshman OD Anosike, who continues to mature with each game.   His rebounding ability is outstanding, as are some of the post moves he’s starting to display.  While coach has seven strong to start, he is getting Kyle Griffen, Jonathan Breeden, and Davis Martens in more – each minute a bench player takes gives the starters that much more of a rest, which is invaluable this time of year.  Unfortunately, don’t expect to see TOO much of the bench Friday night, because…
• ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?: This is the time of the year when Coach McCaffery and his Saints don’t lose.  The team’s record in February and March is stellar, much for one reason – Coach has no problem riding his starters.  Expect all five to log big minutes Friday night – the conditioning of the team is excellent, and this is nothing new to them.  They’ve been doing it for four years now.

Last season Siena lost their 13th conference game at Rider to break their undefeated streak.