Final Stats | Buy Tickets to Wednesday's Semifinal

CINCINNATI, OHIO - On Sunday there was a new sovereign in the Queen City. Siena Women's Basketball scored the first 15 points of the second half and reigned supreme in drilling Big East foe Xavier 69-49 in the Women's Basketball Invitational Quarterfinals at the Cintas Center. The Saints advance to the Final Four of the WBI where they will host Mercer in the semifinals Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the ARC.

Siena (21-12) led for nearly 38 minutes and placed five players in double figures for the first time in nine years in posting its seventh win in its past eight games. The Saints shot 49.1% from the field while limiting Xavier (18-15) to just 28.6% in securing the program's fourth Division I National Postseason Tournament win, with three coming against current members of the Big East.

Leading 27-22 at the break, Siena made a major statement to start the second half. The Saints opened the stanza on a 15-0 run spanning just 3:41 to open a commanding 20-point lead, 42-22 before Xavier even knew what hit them. The Saints made six of their first nine shots capped by three consecutive three-point plays and led by no fewer than 16 points the rest of the way in winning multiple national postseason tournament games in the same season for the first time ever.

Ohio native Meghan Donohue and senior captain Tehresa Coles led a balanced attack with 13 points apiece for the Saints which have won 12 more games than they did all of last year which is now tied for the third best turnaround nationally. Freshman forward Margot Hetzke added 11 points and seven rebounds for Siena which also posted its 12th true road win - tied for the fourth most nationally - and first-ever road triumph in a Division I National Postseason Tournament.

Siena's zone defense, "Storm," was arguably the best it has been all season long. The Musketeers got nothing easy inside, scoring just 18 points in the paint and fared no better on the perimeter in shooting just 3-15 from distance. Eighteen of Xavier's 49 points came from the free throw line.

With each of Xavier's starting post players on a thin, injury plagued front line in foul trouble throughout, Siena took advantage inside. The Saints scored 34 of their points in the paint and held a 16-2 edge in second chance scoring. Siena, which entered the game ranked 25th nationally in rebounding, dominated the glass in out-rebounding the Musketeers 44-26.

All seven Saints scored five points or more as freshman guard Kollyns Scarbrough and sophomore reserve Emia Willingham also reached double figures in chipping in 10 points apiece. Even Siena's two players who didn't score in double figures, senior guard Ida Krogh and junior forward Symone Kelly, made major contributions. Krogh scored seven points to go along with a career-high nine rebounds and five assists and Kelly added five points, eight rebounds and three assists off the bench.

Meanwhile Xavier failed to place anyone in double figures. Jenna Crittendon paced the Musketeers with nine points and five rebounds, while Aliyah Zantt added seven points and five steals for an improved Xavier program which finishes with 10 more wins than it posted last season. Xavier's leading scorer and the Big East's most efficient shooter Briana Glover was a non-factor, scoring just two points on 1-4 shooting in 21 minutes.

Siena storybook season will add two more records to an already long list by playing a record 34th game as well as the latest game in program history when it hosts Mercer, the No. 4 seed in the East Region, in the semifinals. The Bears outlasted eighth seeded Marshall 73-71 at home to set up the first-ever meeting between the programs Wednesday night at the ARC.

Tickets to Wednesday's game are $8 for adults, $5 for children 13 and under and FREE for Siena College students, faculty, staff and administrators with ID. Tickets can be purchased in advance online by clicking the corresponding link at the top of the release. Tickets can be purchased online up until 7 p.m. Tuesday night or by visiting the Marcelle Athletic Complex Box Office which will open at 5 p.m. Wednesday night.