Men's Basketball Hands Over Albany Cup in 78-70 Loss to Siena
BOX SCORE
ALBANY, N.Y. – Ending a five-game winning streak, University at Albany men's basketball (7-4) fell 78-70 to crosstown rival Siena (7-4) on Saturday night at the Times Union Center. Peter Hooley topped all scorers with 20 points.
“I thought Siena played very well,” said head coach Will Brown. “They played with great energy; they were the more physical team, and they were overall the tougher team. We had one of those nights where we just didn't shoot the ball well.”
UAlbany found itself in a hole early, going 0-9 from the field in the first five minutes of the game. Before sinking their first field goal at the 14:22 mark thanks to Peter Hooley, the Danes had already recorded four turnovers on three offensive foul calls.
Despite the shooting woes, the Saints only held a seven-point lead, 12-5 as Will Brown's squad was 2-13 (.154) from the field. Adding to the scoring trouble, starting forward Mike Rowley picked up his second foul at the 10:18 mark and would not return for the remainder of the half.
The Danes eventually pulled themselves out of their slump mid-way through the half on a 3-3 burst. A kick-out three-pointer to Ray Sanders from Dallas Ennema capped off a 9-4 UAlbany run, tying the game at 17 with 6:50 to go in the period.
The Times Union Center continued to rain threes late in the half, as the teams went back-to-back from behind the arc. UAlbany made three treys in two minutes to go toe-to-toe with Siena, locking the score at 23 with just under five minutes to go.
Jamir Andrews gave the Purple & Gold its first lead of the game on a 2-for-2 clip from the free throw line 25-23; but Siena responded on the other end to re-gain a four-point lead on a 6-0 run 29-25. The Saints went 4-for-7 late, missing their last two shots of the half. UAlbany quickly made up a seven-point deficit on a Hooley three and a Ray Sanders lay-in, going into the break down just two points, 34-32.
After starting the game 2-for-13 (.154) from the field, the Danes managed to rebound to go 8-for-16 for the remainder of the first half. Sanders led UAlbany in scoring with 10 points.
With the momentum in their favor, the Purple & Gold went back and forth early in the second half. The game saw its eighth tie less than five minutes into the period.
As offense continued to be tough to come by, the defensive end became increasingly important. Hooley drew an offensive foul on Lavon Long with 15:22 to play to maintain a one-point lead, 40-39. Siena hit a defensive snag when starting point guard Marquis Wright picked up his fourth foul at the 11:59 mark.
But UAlbany couldn't take advantage of Wright's foul trouble. Nico Clareth hit a three to take a four-point Siena lead. Despite narrowing the margin to one, the Danes surrendered another Clareth three with less than 10 minutes to play down 52-48.
Brown's squad found some light in the scrappy play of Mike Rowley. The junior brought down an offensive rebound to generate an and-one opportunity for fellow Aussie Hooley. Hooley brought the game back within one, 52-51.
The Danes found themselves in the double bonus with 8:33 to go, setting up a one-point lead mid-way through the half, 54-53.
But UAlbany once again fell victim to a field goal drought, going three minutes without a basket. Siena took a five-point lead, and eventually capitalized with a 10-2 run. As the Danes went 2-for-7 from the field down the stretch, the Saints extended their lead and UAlbany ran out of time.
The Purple & Gold surrendered the Albany Cup for the first time in four seasons. Siena shot 30-for-57 (.526) from the field, while UAlbany went 23-for-62 (.371).
Peter Hooley led UAlbany with 20 points. Mike Rowley had seven second-half rebounds to finish with nine.
Next up, UAlbany men's basketball (7-4) looks to rebound against Saint Francis (Pa.) (3-5) on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 7:00pm. The Great Danes return home to SEFCU Arena after a four-game road trip.
