Feb. 4, 2011

Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y. - If Siena is going to win its fourth straight MAAC Championship, it is going to need to win three straight games in March. For the first time this season, the team proved it can. OD Anosike and Ryan Rossiter led a monster effort by Siena's front line in a 64-57 victory Friday night over Manhattan.

Anosike poured in a career-high 17 points, and Rossiter added his 17th double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Siena has won six of seven games at home after starting the year 0-4 at Times Union Center.

Manhattan erased a 10-point second half deficit with a 12-0 run to take a 39-37 lead with 12:28 to play, but Clarence Jackson and Owen Wignot hit consecutive threes to give Siena the lead for good.

Siena led just 58-54 with 1:06 to play when Rossiter hit a short jumper, and was fouled to put the game out of reach.

The Saints used an aggressive trap for the majority of the game, collecting 12 steals, which led to 18 points. It marked the third straight game Siena has held its opponent to fewer than 60 points.

Manhattan shot 52% from the field in the second half after connecting on just 8-29 (27%) looks in a dismal first 20 minutes. George Beamon led the Japsers with 17 points, Michael Alvarado had 15 and Demetrius Jemison had nine points and 16 rebounds.

Jackson played 24 minutes off the bench, seeing his first action in two weeks after spraining his left ankle at Saint Peter's. He made three key 3-pointers and finished with nine points, three assists and two steals.

Wignot added 11 points and six rebounds as Siena's newly-found balance on offense continued.

Now Siena will try to make it four in a row when it wraps up a three-game homestand Monday against Loyola.