Jan. 6, 2016
As we begin 2016, we take a look back at the top Siena Athletics' moments of 2015. Over the next 10 days, we will count down the Top-10 Moments of the Year, which continues today with Moment #9.
The Moment
Jan. 11 - The Saints rallied from a 20-point second half deficit to stun Canisius 71-70 in Buffalo. Emia Willingham hit the game-winning layup with six seconds remaining for Siena which had trailed 43-23 with 19:13 to go and still by as many as 13 points midway through the second half. The comeback marked the program's largest come-from-behind win since rallying from 21 down to defeat New Hampshire 78-65 on Dec. 1, 2001.
Why We Loved It
The victory proved to be a defining moment in what would turn out to be an improbable storybook 2014-15 season for the Saints. Sparked by their miraculous comeback, Siena would go on to finish with the second best turnaround nationally in winning 13 more games from the previous year as the season culminated in a 22-win campaign and a trip to the Women's Basketball Invitational Championship Game.
Behind the Scenes
Siena pulled off its extraordinary comeback despite playing with just seven players. For the final 30 games of the season, the Saints were forced to dress just seven due to injuries, red-shirts and NCAA transfer regulations, but each of the seven combined to forge an unbreakable bond in epitomizing their eventual moniker the 2014-15 team would come to be know by, "The Magnificent Seven."
Did You Know?
The victory gave the Saints a sweep of their annual Western New York Canisius-Niagara trip for the first time in seven years. The triumph also capped the program's longest road winning streak in 12 years (five) as the Saints would go on to finish the season with 12 true road wins which tied for the fourth most nationally.
Quotable
"I have no idea what to say right now," said a stunned head coach Ali Jaques immediately following the win. "It's seniors. It's heart and guts. It's believing. Seniors get desperate and seniors want to win. Tehresa was unbelievable tonight, she was unconscious and she led us."
Relive the Moment
The Magnificent Seven