Dec. 23, 2014

Final Stats

Shonn Miller had 26 points and 15 rebounds and Cornell shot 64% from the field in the second half of its 75-57 win over Siena at Times Union Center. The Saints celebrated their 2-millionith fan all-time in their downtown Albany home as part of the 5,973 people who pushed through the turnstiles Tuesday night.

"If it doesn't change, we won't win," Siena head coach Jimmy Patsos said. "We did some really good things tonight. Then all of a sudden we stopped doing them. Our shooting is really disappointing, because we were a good shooting team, and some of those shots were open."

Siena played with just eight scholarship players for the second straight game due to injuries and a suspension. They made just 16-52 shots, their second consecutive 30% effort from the field.

Leading scorer Rob Poole made just 2-12 shots, including 1-8 three pointers, and second-leading scorer Marquis Wright was 1-5 from the field, but did assist on nine of the team's 16 field goals and played all 40 minutes.

Evan Hymes poured in a season-high 18 points in 29 minutes.

Cornell led 27-26 at halftime, and Siena got a stop on the first possession of the second half. But Poole missed a three-pointer, and the Big Red scored 24 of the next 36 points to take command.

Cornell led by double digits for the final 11:24 and handed the Saints their worst loss at Times Union Center in 22 games, when Patsos-coached Loyola (Md.) coasted to an 80-57 win here on February 16, 2013.

"At some point it's just the will to win; the proud program has a will to win," Patsos said. "I don't see anything negative, but I don't see anything positive. I just see this vanilla blend. I see this very steady thing. And we're not talented enough to do that."

Miller, who sat out last season and missed Siena's 71-70 last-second win in Ithaca, made 9-18 shots and scored 16 of his game-high 26 in the second half. Robert Hatter added 21 points, and bolstered a near perfect Cornell effort from the free throw line (25-28) by making 12 of his 13 attempts from the stripe.

Siena had 10 turnovers or fewer for the seventh time in the last eight games, the first time they've done that since the stat was first charted in 1977. Ryan Oliver reached double figures for the sixth time this season with 10 points. He had just six double-figure games in his first two years with the program. Sophomore Javion Ogunyemi continued his improved play with 12 points and two blocks in a career-high 36 minutes. It wasn't nearly enough.

The Saints will try to right the ship Sunday when Bucknell comes to town for a 2 p.m. tip.