March 5, 2011

Final Stats Photo Gallery

Owen Wignot scored all five of Siena's points in overtime, including a make-or-break 3-pointer from the right corner with 1:28 to play as the Saints held off a very game Manhattan team 68-66 in the First Round of the MAAC Tournament Friday night in Bridgeport.

George Beamon's 3-point try to win the game at the end of overtime rimmed out.

Siena stretches its MAAC Tournament win streak to 10 games, equaling a league record. The three-time defending champs will play No. 2 Iona at 7:30 Saturday night.

Manhattan's Michael Alvarado sent the game to overtime with a tough, fade-away 18-footer with five seconds left in regulation. Rakeem Brookins raced the length of the floor and got into the lane, but lost the ball as he tried to get off a runner at the buzzer.

Clarence Jackson led all players with 24 points for the Saints, including five first half threes. Ryan Rossiter had 17 points and 14 rebounds, but was held in check for most of the night by Manhattan's physical frontline. The MAAC Player of the Year now has 402 rebounds this season, nine shy of the conference single-season benchmark.

The game was back-and-forth throughout and the lead changed hands seven times in the final 10 minutes of regulation, and three times in overtime.

Siena took a 63-61 lead when Wignot dove out-of-bounds on the baseline and tipped the ball to a cutting Jackson with 35 seconds left. The Jaspers called timeout twice on the final possession of regulation before Alvardo sunk the equalizer.

All five starters reached double figures for Manhattan. Kidani Brutus led the Jaspers with 16 points, but he scored just two after intermission as Jackson locked him down on defense.

Siena led 40-33 after a wildly entertaining first half. Manhattan came out firing and was up 19-11 just over six minutes in, but the Saints closed the half on a 14-1 run, bringing a 40-33 lead to the lockerroom.

The Saints led 48-41 before Manhattan scored six straight to make it a one-point game with 12:09 left, and neither team led by more than three points the rest of the way.

Manhattan led twice in the overtime, the final lead coming after Beamon connected on two free throws with 2:17 left. The only points the rest of the way came on Wignot's huge 3-pointer.