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.

The Saints appeared to have their problems solved, up double digits early at Minnesota despite an invisible Ryan Rossiter. Fans might not have noticed it early when Siena took an early double digit lead and asserted control over the Golden Gophers early at Williams Arena.

However, Siena continued to have problems defending in multiple sets and turning the ball over. Siena was able to generate traps but left open lanes. The Saints were able to hold up the Gophers shooters early in the zone but could not contain the passing lanes. Siena was able to get good passes but too many errant passes were dropped for the Saints to maintain consistent offense.

The Saints turned the ball over 24 times on Monday night, compared to just 9 turnovers on Saturday night against Vermont.

Clarence Jackson led the Saints throughout the game, playing almost a one-man show racking up a career-high 29 points on 11 of 18 shooting. Jackson created early and often, going 8 of 14 from the field in the first half. Jackson’s previous career-high in scoring was 28 in Siena’s 75-74 win at St. Joe’s on Dec. 28, 2007.

Rakeem Brookins shined late, scoring 12 points on 5 of 8 shooting. Brookins scored an old-fashioned three-point play to cut the lead to four with just under two minutes to play. He followed that up by nailing a three pointer to cut the lead to four again with just over one minute to play. Brookins fouled out with 2.3 seconds left in the game but his late scoring surge could help him in the point guard position battle against Kyle Griffin. Griffin scored three points on 1 of 4 shooting.

Siena broke out on a 10-2 run to build a double digit lead on the Gophers at 25-15 early in the first half. However Minnesota closed the gap by pounding the ball inside after Ryan Rossiter and O.D. Anosike exited with foul trouble and cut the lead to one (34-33) at halftime.

MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Ryan Rossiter was disrupted early, unable to get the ball into the block, and scored just two points in the first half. However Rossiter responded with authority by grabbing two straight boards in traffic and converted an old-fashioned three point play at 18:49 to give the Saints a 37-33 lead.

The Golden Gophers quickly came back with an 11-0 run early in the second half to take the lead, capped by an Austin Hollins three pointer at 14:08 to go. The Gophers would strike quickly on runs throughout the second half to extend the lead.

Rossiter could not maintain the consistency in the game, fouling out and scoring just 8 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. The last time Rossiter did not score double-digit points in a game was Jan. 4, 2010 when Rossiter scored 6 points in Siena’s 76-56 win over Loyola (MD).

The Saints put up an incredible three-point shooting performance, making 9 of 17 three pointers. The last time the Saints made 9 or more three pointers was Feb. 5, 2010 in an 88-68 win over Iona at the Times Union Center when the Saints went a matching 9 for 17 from behind the arc.

The Saints fall to 0-2 for the first time since the 2007-08 season when they dropped two games where the Saints gave up an average of 98.5 points.

The Saints take the floor 48 hours after falling at home to Vermont by four Saturday night. However, the turnaround will be even quicker after the Saints flight from Chicago to Minneapolis was canceled and the team’s active players caught a flight and practiced Sunday night at Minnesota.

The Saints ran wild, cutting a 14 point deficit to three with 1:15 to go by forcing turnovers and inspired by two steals from Rakeem Brookins and 10 points from MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Ryan Rossiter.

O.D. Anosike, in his first start, went 5 for 9 from the field, scoring 11 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. However, Anosike accumulated four fouls in 21 minutes of play. Anosike picked up his first two fouls on two consecutive defensive possessions in the first half.

Meanwhile, first team All-MAAC selection Clarence Jackson struggled from the field. Jackson shot just 4 for 16 from the field and made just one of his three attempted three pointers.

While Brookins and Griffin provided energy and a positive assist to turnover rate (a combined 7-6), both managed to shoot a combined 3 for 15 from the field. Siena head coach Mitch Buonaguro said Brookins will make mistakes but he got the Saints going in their comeback.

“When I put him in we were down 15, and he was in the middle of the run. He pushed the ball, made a couple really good plays,” Buonaguro said. I thought Brookins was a real plus [Saturday night], I really do.”

They will face off against a Minnesota Golden Gopher team who are led by Ralph Sampson III who scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in their 69-55 win over Wofford Friday night. Trevor Mbakwe put up a career high 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the opener as well. Freshman Chip Armelin made his debut and scored 11 points in 12 minutes. (Also read: Get to Know the Gophers)

The Saints were out rebounded by 14 on Saturday but did take 13 more shots than the Catamounts. The real problem for the Saints Saturday was shooting under 40% for the game, shooting 36.8% from the field and making just 3 of 14 three point tries.

The Saints and Gophers will meet in the regular season for the first time tonight.The Gophers won their first meeting, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 1989, 80-67.

The Gophers last game against a MAAC team was a Nov 23, 2006 loss to Marist in the Old Spice Classic tournament in Orlando. The Gophers are 3-3 all time against MAAC teams.

Siena Saints Blog: Minnesota opened up Friday night with a win over Wofford, how did you feel about game one of the season?

Steve Bailey: It was great to see the Gophers come out and beat a Wofford team that could have easily caused problems. The team smartly used its size and athleticism to bully the Terriers down low as opposed to beating them through shooting. Their shots weren’t falling from the field at a clip they would have liked, so they employed their other weapons to pick up the slack. Ralph Sampson III, who people are hoping will start using his highly-touted size advantage, scored 20 points, for instance. This will be something the team will rely on throughout the season when they know they won’t be able to out-shoot a team. Beating Wofford is a good sign – they are a quality opponent who has NCAA Tournament aspirations and one that might pick up a couple wins this season against big schools.

Siena Saints Blog: We found out Friday that the Gophers will be without Devoe Joseph indefinitely, how much of an impact is the loss of Joseph?

Steve Bailey: This one really hurts. Devoe Joseph was supposed to be one of our offensive leaders and focal point on the offense. He is one of the only guys on the team that is capable of creating his own shot off the dribble and was expected to see significant time on the floor. It’s still unclear why he is suspended, but the Gophers will have to figure out quickly what they are going to do without him, since he’ll be gone for at least a good chunk of the non-conference season, and possibly beyond.

However, it was nice to see the team do well against Wofford without him. I was worried their offense wasn’t going to flow and didn’t really know who would fill in for him. The team doesn’t have an established backup point guard, so it was expected that one of the freshmen would fill in. Chip Armelin did an admirable job in the fill in, scoring 11 points without missing a shot, so we’ll see if he continues to see increased action. It’s hard to get a good read on how the team will do without Joseph, since we haven’t faced a dominating opponent. It will continue to become clearer the further down the schedule we go.

Siena Saints Blog: What match ups are you looking forward to Monday night?

Steve Bailey: I’m excited to see Siena up close. Our non-conference schedule last year was pretty weak so it’s nice to get some quality opponents coming to town. I’m interested to see how Buanaguro does in his first game against a big school as head coach. How he gets the team prepared to go into one of the hardest places to play in the country will be a big factor in how the Saints perform. “The Barn” is a loud, intimidating place, so I’m interested to see how Siena reacts.

I’m also interested to see how Ryan Rossiter performs. Minnesota is proud of its twin towers in Sampson and Colton Iverson, so the going will not be easy down low. He’s really going to have to work hard if he wants to score. Clarence Jackson, though, will be the X-factor in the game. The Gophers have already shown difficulty guarding the perimeter and giving up open shots. If Jackson is hitting his deep shots then Minnesota might be in trouble.

Siena Saints Blog: What do you expect will happen Monday night?

Steve Bailey: In the end, I do think the Gophers will win. They are almost unbeatable at home and have a huge amount of talent this season on both sides of the ball. The Saints will have to hit the shots Minnesota gives them because they likely won’t be able to get much done down low. If Siena hangs around long enough, though, then all bets are off. I expect a close, fast-paced game, but Minnesota’s suffocating defense will be too much to handle.

When Rider faced Siena this earlier this season, the Saints’ dominant performance began Siena’s record 15 game winning streak. Siena has clinched the #1 seed in the MAAC Tournament, while Rider is still in the hunt with Niagara and St. Peter’s for the #4 seed.

Friday night will feature the two leading candidates for MAAC Player of the Year on each side of the court. After a slow start to the season, the preseason MAAC POY, Ryan Thompson, has been on fire of late. Over the last 8 games, Thompson is averaging 23.8 PPG and 3.8 APG, yielding 5 Rider wins and 2 close overtime losses, one to their Bracket Buster opponent, Hofstra. Alex Franklin has scored 20+ points in six out of his last ten games, and is averaging 16 PPG – 7.7 RPG – 1.5 APG on the year. Contrast that with Thompson’s season numbers; 17.1 PPG – 5.1 RPG – 2.7 APG, and this game could be the final judgement call for MAAC POY.

The Saints physically dominated their previous meeting, with Franklin and Rossiter both posting double-doubles. The Broncs didn’t help their cause, shooting 0-15 from beyond the arc and ultimately losing by more than 20. Siena held Ryan Thompson assist-less, and to just 4 total points that night. In what could be Ryan’s last game against the Saints, it would be a tall order to expect that same result. With all of Siena’s losses coming on the road this year, look for this game to be much more competitive.

This game, as it always does with Niagara is going to come down to offense, offense and more offense. Edwin Ubiles seems to have found the Gallagher Center to be a home away from home…

The game will be broadcast on ESPNU at 7pm.

Matt mentioned the 7-1 against Niagara, the last time Siena lost was in the ’07 MAAC Championship Game so you could say Siena is undefated against Niagara in the regular season under Fran. So that’s 0-1 at a neutral site; good for Siena that the Tournament is at home this year. – Ryan

Much has changed since their first meeting.

Siena now stands at 12-0 in the conference and is trying to run the table. Rider is 3rd in the MAAC at 7-4 with losses at Canisius, at Niagara and at home against Loyola.

Rider has arguably the most talented player in the MAAC in Ryan Thompson, who is averaging 17.2 points per game. The Broncs also feature balanced scoring as they have four players who all average double digits in points per game in Harris Mansell, Mike Ringold, and Novar Gadson.

While they don’t have a true center, Ringold is dangerous in the paint. Mansell gives the team senior leadership and production while Novar Gadson is developing in to one of the best freshman in the MAAC.

Expect the Saints to keep running their up-tempo motion offense, while trying to pressing and creating turnovers. Ryan Rossiter and Alex Franklin should be able to be effective against Rider’s forwards, but the Saints will have to guard multiple scoring threats. Kenny Hasbrouck has been taking over as of late, so look for another big game from him.

Nonetheless, it will take a complete effort to get past the Broncs in Lawrenceville and stay perfect on the season.

It’s not really national TV, but it is available in any [decent] sports bar around the nation. According to a source at ESPN, the Saints are likely headed for an ESPN2 matchup on Bracketbuster weekend.

Saturday’s game will be available on ESPN Full Court, and ESPN360.com.