Jan. 26, 2009
Final Stats
ALBANY, N.Y. - Edwin Ubiles' twisting baseline jumper with 4.2 seconds remaining lifted Siena over visiting Iona 69-68 in front of 6,466 fans at Times Union Center Monday. The Saints improve to 16-5 and 10-0 in the MAAC with their sixth straight win and 10th victory in 11 games.
Siena led 42-31 at the half and 55-43 with 11:56 to play before the Gaels mounted a furious rally, taking the lead for the first time in the second half on Gary Springer's layup with 16 seconds to play.
It was the fourth time Iona has lost by a single point this season and the fifth game they have played that has been decided by exactly one point.
The Saints won their 14th straight home game and 15th straight game against MAAC opposition dating back to last season.
For the first 30 minutes, it looked like it would be easy.
Siena raced to a 12-0 lead, punctuated by an Alex Franklin breakaway dunk. It marked the third straight game they grabbed a double digit advantage in the game's first seven minutes. But the upstart Gaels quickly counter punched, scoring 11 of the next 13 points to cut the lead to two points. When Scott Machado hit a 3-pointer with 10:22 left in the first half, it marked the first time the Saints had trailed since the waning seconds of their comeback win at Marist 11 days ago.
But Siena used a 13-2 run to push the lead back to double figures and held an 11 point advantage at the break.
After a fractured first nine minutes in the second stanza in which Siena missed several opportunities to build their advantage, Iona got hot from outside.
Jonathan Huffman made two 3-pointers and Milan Prodanovic and Jermel Jenkins each had one as Iona out-scored the Saints 26-12 over a 10 minute stretch to tie the game at 61-61 with 4:43 remaining.
The teams exchanged baskets down the stretch. Kenny Hasbrouck hit three straight jumpers to help Siena reclaim a four point lead, But Devon Clarke answered with five straight points - the final three coming on an old fashioned 3-point play with 33 seconds left that cut the Saints lead to 67-66.
Iona quickly fouled on the inbounds, and Ronald Moore missed the front end of the 1-and-1 to allow for Springer's layup that put Iona up 68-67.
Ubiles' winner followed a timeout. He fielded the inbounds pass, spun away from the basket and then back toward it before connecting on the leaning 10-footer with his defender off balance.
Hasbrouck led the Saints with 16 points. Ubiles had 15 and Ryan Rossiter and Alex Franklin had 10 points each. Rossiter rounded out his second straight double-double with 12 rebounds.
Machado led the Gaels with 16 points. Huffman scored 15 and Springer had 10.
Siena completes its three-game homestand Thursday against Canisius.
