March 10, 2009

Box Score | Photo Gallery

ALBANY, N.Y. - The Siena College Saints are heading back to the Big Dance. MAAC Tournament MVP Kenny Hasbrouck returned from a calf injury and scored 17 of his team-high 19 points in the second half as the Saints overcame an early 10-point deficit to defeat the Niagara University Purple Eagles 77-70 this evening in front of 9,744 at Times Union Center in the 2009 Citizens Bank MAAC Championship Game. Siena advances to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season after winning its fourth MAAC Tournament Championship.

Alex Franklin and Ryan Rossiter added 16 apiece for the Saints (27-8) who won their 21st consecutive home game. Niagara's (26-8) Tyrone Lewis led all scorers with 22 points, while Benson Egemonye chipped in a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots.

Niagara (26-8) got off to a quick start, building a 10-point lead (15-5) on a Rob Garrison layup just five and a half minutes into the game. But the Saints (27-8) responded with an 18-4 run of their own over the next six minutes to grab a four point lead at 23-19. The teams traded baskets for the most part for the remainder of the half and both squads went into the locker room deadlocked at 33-33.

Niagara dominated the boards in the first half, corralling 30 rebounds including 12 on the offensive end. But the Purple Eagles shot just 32.5% (13-40) in the opening stanza, failing to take advantage of their second chances. Siena stayed in the game with their aggressive pressuring defense which forced 10 first half turnovers leading to 10 Siena points.

The second half featured four ties as the teams jockeyed for position early. Niagara tied it for the final time at 50-50 at the 8:48 mark on a Lewis dunk. Hasbrouck then took the game over, scoring 11 of the Saints' next 15 points, sparking what would become a 17-4 run to give Siena a 67-54 lead with 4:01 remaining and effectively put the game away.

Hasbrouck, who was questionable entering the game with a calf injury sustained early in the second half in Siena's semifinal win over Fairfield, shook off a 1-10 shooting slump in the first half to make seven of his eleven second half attempts. He also added six assists and three steals.

Niagara shot just 33.8% (25-74) for the game and failed to hit the long distance shot, knocking down just 9-for-37 from beyond the arc, good for just 24.3%. Demetrius Williamson (13) and Garrison (11) joined Lewis and Egemonye in double figures for the Purple Eagles.

Rossiter added ten of his game-high 14 rebounds in the second half as Siena improved drastically on the glass in the second half, out-rebounding Niagara 22-19 in the stanza. Additionally, the Saints grabbed eight second half offensive rebounds leading to 13 second chance points.

Ronald Moore finished just short of a triple-double, adding seven points, a career-high nine rebounds and seven of Siena's 19 assists. Moore joined Hasbrouck in being named to the All-Tournament Team as did Franklin.

While Niagara suffered from shooting struggles, the Saints poured in 18-for-32 (56.3%) in the second half to finish at 45.6% for the game.

Siena becomes the 13th number one seed in the MAAC Tournament to win the championship in 28 years and the first to repeat since Manhattan took home consecutive crowns in 2003 and 2004.

The Saints will wait to see who they draw in the NCAA Tournament coming up on Sunday evening during the Selection Show.