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Siena began the second half with a 25-6 run to take command in a MAAC-opening 88-69 win over Quinnipiac Friday night in front of 6,046 fans at Times Union Center. Marquis Wright led five Saints in double figures with 17 points and added six assists and three steals.

"Our team is growing, (they) get all the credit," Siena head coach Jimmy Patsos said. "I thought we played with really good energy."

The Saints led 40-38 after an even, entertaining first 20 minutes, but hit a different gear out of the lockerroom. They scored the first eight points of the second half to push the lead to double digits on Brett Bisping's layup, and then started another 8-0 spurt exactly one minute later to go up by 18.

Willem Brandwijk drilled a three-pointer and then finished an alley-oop from Wright to push the advantage to 65-44 with 11:34 to play, bringing the Siena crowd to its feet.

"Our students, I thought they energized us,'' Patsos said. "I really did."

Quinnipiac scored the next 10 points to close within 11, but the lead was double digits the rest of the way.

Brandwijk provided a great spark off the bench with 12 points in 15 minutes, lined up against perhaps the top big man in the league Ousmane Drame.

"It's St. Nicolas day in the Netherlands," Patsos said of Brandwijk. "He played like he was my Christmas present."

Lavon Long finished with 11 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists in 23 minutes after battling through foul trouble in the first half.

"Lavon in the second half was incredible," Patsos said. "He stat stuffed all over the place."

Rob Poole had 12 points and four assists and Javion Ogunyemi scored 11.

Bisping left the game with a dislocated toe in the second half.

The Saints shot over 50% in each half on their way to a 54% showing from the field. They also made 7-16 three-pointers and turned the ball over just eight times, the fourth straight game they've been in single digits in that category.

It was the third time in four games Siena placed five scorers in double figures, something they failed to do in a 69-67 loss at Fordham Monday night when Wright was a one-man show with a career-high 31 points.

Zaid Hearst led Quinnipiac with 15 points and Kasim Chandler added 14.

Siena held its own against Quinnipiac on the glass. The Bobcats have been one of the nation's top rebounding teams the last three years, but managed just a 37-34 margin Friday night. Drame ended with eight points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes played before fouling out.

"It wasn't whether we won or lost, we played all 40 minutes tonight," Patsos said.

But the win sure felt nice.

The Saints travel to face Rider Sunday at 2 p.m.