SCORE: UAlbany 76, Siena 58
 
LOCATION: Broadview Center - Albany, N.Y.

RECORDS: UAlbany 5-2, 0-0 America East | Siena 2-3, 0-0 MAAC
 
SHORT STORY: The Great Danes earned their third consecutive win against Siena after a second-half explosion, both on offense and defense, that propelled them to a double-digit victory.  
 
COACH COLLEEN MULLEN: "I am so excited for our players for winning their third straight Albany Cup. Tonight was a really tough battle. Siena dictated the tempo and really made us feel uncomfortable in the first half. Coming out of halftime, I thought the players did a great job of slowing down, executing, and taking care of the ball. We had great contributions off of the bench and I am so proud of how unselfish we played down the stretch."
 
KEY STATS

• Graduate student Helene Haegerstrand and senior Kayla Cooper led the scoring with 13 points each. 
• Graduate student Sarah Karpell tallied a team-high four assists, including her 250th career assist.  
• Freshman Deja Evans recorded 10 rebounds in the win, including four offensive boards. 
• The Great Danes shot 53.7% from the field and 38.9% from behind the arc.
• UAlbany tallied 17 assists against Siena, their highest against Division I opponents this season. 
• This was the second time this season that four Great Danes earned double-digit point totals - Cooper (13), Haegerstrand (13), Karpell (11), and junior Lilly Phillips (11).
• Overall, the Great Danes scored 20 points off the bench. 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After winning the tip-off, the Great Danes opened the scoring on their first possession with Deja Evans making the basket.
• The two sides traded buckets to start the game but a Lilly Phillips three-pointer gave UAlbany the lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter.
• The Saints battled back to equalize the score at 19-19 to end the first quarter. 
• The Great Danes started the second quarter with a seven-point scoring run to take the lead. 
• To take its first lead of the contest, 31-30, with 2:30 remaining in the second quarter, Siena rallied behind a strong defensive effort.
• UAlbany's offense surged as they made consecutive baskets to push ahead late in the second quarter.
• Reducing the UAlbany lead to 37-36, Siena hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to enter halftime with the game's momentum. 
• The Great Danes scored first in the second half with a corner three made by Helene Haegerstrand.
• UAlbany steadily pushed ahead as the third quarter progressed with accurate shooting from the charity strike. 
• The Great Dane defense held the Saints to just three baskets throughout the third quarter. 
• Allowing just one Saint three-pointer at 3:51, UAlbany gained a 57-44 lead going into the final quarter.
• Siena scored seven consecutive points to start the fourth quarter as they looked to stage a comeback.
• Coming off the bench, juniors Abby Ray and Meghan Huerter helped maintain the UAlbany lead with key baskets and defensive pressure.
• The Great Danes' offense came to life midway through the fourth quarter as they went on a 10-point run to extend their lead to 69-52 with 3:53 on the clock.
• Holding the Siena offense to just 14 points in the fourth, UAlbany closed out the contest, 76-58, for their third Albany Cup victory in as many years. 

 
NEXT: The Great Danes will head on the road to face CCSU on Wednesday (Dec. 6).
 
For more information on the University at Albany women's basketball team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanywbb
Instagram & Threads - @ualbanywbb
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyWBB