Feb. 23, 2016 Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Siena Game Notes | Courtside Twitter Updates
BRIDGEPORT, CONN. - Siena Basketball looks to bounce back when the Saints battle hard charging Fairfield at Webster Bank Arena at 7 p.m. Gameday Central coverage commences with The Anderson Group Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m. locally on WGDJ 1300 AM and online at SienaAllAccess.com.
Tonight's contest carries major MAAC Tournament seeding implications as both teams battle for the No. 3 seed. Siena (19-10, 12-6) can lock up the 3-seed with a win in either of its final two regular season games, while upstart Fairfield (17-11, 11-7) has entered the conversation thanks to a five-game winning streak.
Robert Lee and Tom Huerter have the radio call of the game locally on WGDJ 1300 AM and FREE online at SienaAllAccess.com. Click the corresponding links at the top of the page to follow all the action online. Follow @SienaSaints on twitter for courtside updates and join the conversation using the hashtags #SienaSaints and #MAACHoops.
Here's Ten Things to Know About Today's Game
1) With a win tonight, Siena would clinch the program's 20th 20-win season and 16th in the past 32 seasons. This is the 75th season of Siena Basketball.
2) With a win tonight, Siena would clinch the program's first 20-win regular season since the 2009-10 MAAC Championship campaign. The Saints finished with 20 wins in capturing the CBI Championship two years ago, although five of those victories came during postseason play.
3) As a result of Sunday's other league outcomes, Siena clinched a First Round bye in the MAAC Tournament. The Saints will play their first MAAC Tournament game on Saturday, March 5th at either 7 or 9:30 p.m.
4.) Siena can finish as high as third and would clinch the No. 3 seed in the MAAC Tournament with a win in either of its final two games.
5.) Siena nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback in Monday's 87-81 loss to Iona. The Gaels led by 25 with 3:22 remaining in the first half, but a 17-0 run gave the Saints a 73-72 lead with 3:37 to play. However, Iona answered shortly thereafter with a decisive 10-1 run down the stretch to hold on.
6) Brett Bisping tied a career-high with his fourth 18-rebound game of the season – and second straight – Monday night vs. Iona. Bisping leads the MAAC and ranks 22nd nationally in rebounding (10.1), while also ranking ninth in the country averaging 7.9 defensive rebounds per contest.
7) Bisping became the 41st player in program history to eclipse 1,000 career points in Friday's rout at Rider. Bisping has enjoyed a monster start to 2016, averaging a double-double with team highs of 18.6 points and 11.1 rebounds while also shooting 51.8% from the field and 47.2% from three-point range in the first 16 games of the calendar year.
8) Marquis Wright made his long awaited return to the Siena lineup Friday, scoring eight points while dishing out five assists in 27 minutes off the bench. Prior to suffering a stress fracture in his right foot Dec. 26, the Saints' floor general had led the team in scoring (17.3), assists (4.6), steals (2.1) and three-point shooting (54.8%). Siena weathered the storm in his absence however, posting a 10-5 record.
9) Javion Ogunyemi is averaging team-highs of 19.4 points and 58.4% shooting in the month of February (seven games).
10) Ryan Oliver has shot 16-27 (59.3%) from three-point range over the past six games. He now ranks sixth in the MAAC, shooting 40.4% from distance this season.