Final Stats

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. - Sophomore guard Emia Willingham sunk the clinching free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining and then stole the final inbounds to seal the deal as Siena Women's Basketball grinded out a key 56-52 road win over Niagara at the Gallagher Center. Willingham finished with a season-high 16 points, career-high nine rebounds and her fourth four-steal game of the year off the bench for the surging Saints which have won six of their last seven.

Senior captain Tehresa Coles made the first of several big plays late for the Saints (9-5, 2-3). With the game tied at 52 with 15 seconds to go, she stole the ball, was fouled and hit the go-ahead free throws with 12 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Niagara's (7-7, 3-2) second all-time leading three-point shooter Meghan McGuinness missed a potential go-ahead three and Willingham corralled her biggest rebound of the afternoon. Entering the day as just a 51% foul shooter, Willingham made the two biggest free throws of her young career as Siena earned its first win on Monteagle Ridge in four years.

The win marked another high point in what has already been an impressive first half of the season for the Saints. Picked 10th in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Siena has already matched their win total from all of last year with still two more months to play.

Coles joined Willingham in double figures with 12 points for Siena which improved to an impressive 6-1 on the road after going a combined 7-21 over the previous two years.

Siena committed 22 turnovers, but overcame their miscues thanks to an impressive defensive effort. The Saints held Niagara to more than 14 points under their season average and to just 30.9% shooting, more than 10 percent below their average clip.

The Saints led by as many as 11 points in the first half following a late 18-4 run as they eventually took a 31-25 lead at the break.

But the second half would be tightly contested throughout. In a game that featured five ties and 10 lead changes, neither team led by more than a possession over the final 14 minutes until Willingham's decisive free throw in the waning seconds.

Freshman forward Margot Hetzke added nine points and six rebounds and senior guard Ida Krogh added eight points and her second straight six-assist game as the Saints defeated both Niagara and the weather. Originally scheduled for an 11 a.m. start, the game was delayed by three hours due to the severe weather in Western New York.

Rampado paced the Purple Eagles with 14 points and nine rebounds, while McGuinness and Taylor McKay added 10 points apiece.

Siena now has a chance to do something it hasn't done in seven years - sweep the Buffalo trip. The Saints can do that with a win over Canisius Sunday at 2 p.m. when they conclude their three-game road trip at the Koessler Athletic Center.