Nov. 8, 2013
Box Score |
Photo Gallery 
Albany out-scored Siena 43-25 in the second half, and 19-7 in the final seven minutes to pull out a 74-62 win in the annual battle for the Albany Cup in front of 11,311 fans Friday night in Albany. It was the third win in four years for the Danes after Siena won eight of the first nine games when the rivalry was renewed in 2001.
"There was much more good than bad," Siena coach Jimmy Patsos said following the loss. "We played with great energy."
The Saints' freshmen class scored 42 of the team's 62 points. Maurice White led the way, coming off the bench to tie for a game-high with 17 points. Point guard Marquis Wright had eight points, six assists and five rebounds in his collegiate debut and Lavon Long added 11 points before fouling out in the final minute.
Siena used an 11-0 run to pull even at 55-55 with 7:01 to play on Wright's twisting layup in traffic, but the Danes answered with a 7-0 run with 4:48 to play to take command.
The Saints went 0-for-16 from three-point range in the second half and just 5-for-10 from the free throw line, hampering their ability to press and force tempo. UAlbany got to the line 36 times and made 28 of those opportunities. The Danes also out-rebounded Siena 25-23 in the second half after being out-rebounded 21-13 in the first 20 minutes.
"Don't let the stats fool you," Patsos said of Siena's 44-38 rebounding advantage. "They got the key ones when it mattered."
Peter Hooley and Sam Rowley each had 17 points for UAlbany which won 24 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year. Rob Poole had 15 points to round out Siena's double-digit scorers.
The Saints jumped out to a 12-2 lead and led by double digits for most of the first half before Albany rallied to within 37-31 at the break. The Danes used a 20-4 run early in the second to turn the game around, grabbing a 55-44 lead with 10:28 to play, before Siena rallied to tie.
Patsos found plenty of positives in his first game on Siena's sidelines, and plenty to look forward to.
"They did everything we asked," he said. "We did a lot of good things. I'm focused on the MAAC and games like this, against good teams, can help us get better."
The Saints will try for their first win of the Patsos era Tuesday at Vermont. Nine of the team's next 10 games will be played on the road or in neutral sites.
