Dec. 10, 2003

Box Score

Keith Triplett scored 22 points and Toledo shot 65% from the floor in a 95-71rout of Siena before 5,229 at Albany's Pepsi Arena Wednesday night. It marks the first time since the 1996-97 season that the Saints have lost four straight games, and the first time in program history the school has lost three straight contests at Pepsi Arena.

Toledo (5-0) closed the first half on a 21-5 run to take a 38-24 lead to the locker room. The Rockets blasted Siena's 2-3 zone, shooting 62% from the floor. Triplett connected on 7-of his-8 field goals, scoring 16 of his points before the break.

Haddix led the Saints with 11 at the intermission, and provided Siena (3-4) with its latest lead of the game, 19-17, on a turnaround jumper at the 8:11 mark of the first half. Sammy Villegas keyed Toledo's immediate response scoring five points in a key 12-0 run.

Justin Miller started the second half with a thunderous jam-one of the few bright spots for the Saints-but Siena got no closer than 12 the rest of the way.

The Rockets pulled away, shooting a mind-boggling 67.9% from the floor in the second half (72.7% from three-point range). Toledo also became the first team to out-rebound Siena this season (the Saints entered the game ranked third nationally), controlling the glass 40-27.

Villegas scored 11 of his 18 points in the second half to pace the way for Toledo, which defeated Siena for the third straight season and improved to 14-0 against schools in the MAAC. Justin Ingram also had 18 converting all six of his field goal attempts.

The loss was Siena's worst at home since 1996 - a 91-57 season-opening defeat to #25 Rhode Island.
Tommy Mitchell led the Saints with 16 points, Haddix chipped in 15. Austin Andrews, making his first start of the season, was the only other Saint in double figures with 12. Miller, celebrating his 22nd birthday, chipped in eight in a losing effort.

The game was the final home game of the calendar year for the Saints who travel to Syracuse to take on the defending National Champion Orangemen on December 20 in the first contest of a four-game road trip.