Jan. 17, 2008
Final Stats
ALBANY, N.Y. - Alex Franklin had 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead Siena past visiting Manhattan 69-56 in MAAC action Thursday night at Times Union Center. The Saints raced to a 15-point halftime advantage and led by double figures for the final 29 minutes.
"It was an interesting game," head coach Fran McCaffery said. "We had certain guys step up in the second half who didn't perform in the first half. With 10 guys playing, I thought we had enough step up and carry us through."
Kenny Hasbrouck led the Saints with 17 points - 13 of which came after intermission. Edwin Ubiles had 14 points, six rebounds and four blocks.
Siena forced 16 first half turnovers and held Manhattan without a field goal for nearly seven minutes, pushing a four point lead to 16 with just over two minutes to go. Franklin came off the bench to score 10 points and added eight rebounds before the break.
The lead ballooned to 27 with 6:27 to go in the game, before Manhattan used a furious rally to make the score respectable. Reserve Darryl Crawford had 16 points and made 7-8 field goals for the Jaspers.
Siena held Manhattan to just 36% from the field for the game. It was the fifth time in seven games that a Siena opponent has failed to shoot 40%.
Hasbrouck broke a spell of three straight games without reaching double figures - his longest streak since the first four games of his career. He made 6-12 field goals and 4-8 3-pointers, scoring 13 of his 17 points in the second half. Sharpshooting senior Tay Fisher also got going in the second half, making 3-4 3-pointers after missing the first three he tried in the first half.
"I thought Kenny and Tay were spectacular in the second half," McCaffery said.
Still, it was Franklin's reenergized effort that pushed Siena over the top. After missing five games with a back injury, he returned to add a spark in a pair of Siena wins this weekend in Western New York. Tonight, he dominated.
"Alex was a difference maker tonight," McCaffery said. "He showed the explosiveness he had (before the injury)."
Manhattan controlled a 41-36 advantage on the glass and had just two turnovers in the second half. They scored 18 of their 56 points in the final 6:27.
Siena has the weekend off before returning here Monday for a 6:30 tip with Canisius. The game is the second half of a men's and women's doubleheader. The Siena women host Niagara at 4 p.m.
