Dec. 7, 2009
Final Stats
Edwin Ubiles scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half helping Siena pull away from Iona 73-60 in the Saints' MAAC opener Monday night in New Rochelle. Siena used a 10-0 run to break the game open after Iona closed the gap to 45-42 with 12:45 remaining.
The Saints led 31-28 after a physical first half with 15 fouls and six lead changes. Siena led 29-19 before Iona used a 9-0 run to close within a point. Ryan Rossiter converted a twisting layup with just seconds left to push the lead to three at the break.
Rossiter finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, joining Alex Franklin (11 points, nine rebounds), Clarence Jackson (10 points in 22 minutes) and Ubiles in double figures for the Saints. Ronald Moore played all 40 minutes, scored five points, dished out six assists, grabbed seven rebounds and had two steals, keeping Siena in a comfortable offensive flow throughout the second half.
No Iona players reached double digits, but five players scored eight points or more. Ben Mockford came off the bench to hit three 3-pointers keeping the Gaels within striking range until the final 10 minutes.
Siena shot 61% from the field in the second half and 50% for the game. It was the second straight efficient offensive performance after a disastrous shooting night at Georgia Tech Wednesday.
The Saints also forced 10 first half turnovers and turned the ball over just 11 times themselves all night. Bench production was solid as McCaffery settled into an eight-man rotation. Owen Wignot had seven points in 15 minutes to lead the reserves, showing a smooth stroke from the perimeter.
But on this night, Ubiles was the story. After sitting out at Georgia Tech with a knee injury and making just 3-12 shots in Siena's rout of UAlbany Saturday, Ubiles made just 2-6 shots in the first half Monday, clearly favoring his injured leg. In the second half, he emerged to make 7-10 field goals and carry the Saints to an impressive win.
Ubiles and the Saints return to non-conference play Saturday in Cedar Falls against MVC favorite Northern Iowa.
