ALBANY, NY - Siena Basketball opens the month of December when the Saints host Ivy League preseason favorite Harvard in the back end of a Times Union Center doubleheader at approximately 3 p.m. The contest will tip-off 20 minutes after the conclusion of the Siena women's game vs. Florida Atlantic, which begins at 1 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Tickets to today's doubleheader start as low as just $10 for adults (service fees apply if purchasing through Ticketmaster), and can be secured by clicking the corresponding link, in-person at the Times Union Center Box Office (opens at 10 a.m.), or by contacting Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000. One ticket is good for admission to BOTH the men's and women's basketball games. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a $5 Dunkin' card, which can be used to try out their new handcrafted espresso drinks.
Siena (2-5) returns to the Capital Region looking to snap a four-game losing streak overall, and a five-game losing streak at the Times Union Center dating back to last season. The Saints have been led by the dominant one-two punch of freshman phenom
Jalen Pickett and senior forward
Evan Fisher. The reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week, Pickett currently leads the MAAC in assists (7.0 - seventh nationally), steals (2.4 - 26th nationally) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.77 - 33rd nationally). He is averaging a whopping 24.3 points, 9.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.0 steals while shooting 60% from the field the past three games, and on Wednesday became the first Division I player this season to amass at least 27 points and 13 assists in a game. Meanwhile Fisher is averaging 20.0 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 62% from the field the past three games. He stands third in the MAAC in field goal percentage (.554), sixth in rebounding (5.9), and eighth in scoring (15.1).
Fresh off a share of its first Ivy League Title since 2015, Harvard (4-3) is the preseason favorite in the "Ancient Eight" after receiving 12 of 18 first place votes in the polling. The Crimson entered this season ranked second nationally, returning 99.4% of their scoring from a year ago. By contrast, the Saints returned 28%. Today's matchup will mark the first-ever meeting between Siena and Harvard.
A.J. Kanell and Andy Grazulis have the call of the game via all platforms. The ESPN+ broadcast is accessible by clicking the corresponding link, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Eleven of Siena's 12 remaining regular season home games will be broadcast on the ESPN Family of Networks, including five on ESPN+. ESPN+ requires a subscription of just $4.99 per month – or only $49.99 per year – and can be canceled at any time. In addition to watching Siena Basketball games, an ESPN+ subscription includes access to live games from Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more.
Gameday Central coverage commences with The Anderson Group Pregame Show at approximately 2:30 p.m. locally on Talk 1300 AM and 98.7 FM, and online at SienaAllAccess.com. Complimentary online audio of the broadcast can also be accessed by clicking the corresponding link at the top of the page.
Social media updates will be provided courtside throughout the day by following the Saints' official twitter page @SienaMBB. Join the conversation by using the hashtags #MarchOn and #UnleashMayhem. Upload pictures of yourself and your friends enjoying today's doubleheader through the Selfiefinder platform by clicking the corresponding link at the top of the page, or by downloading the Selfiefinder app and searching "Siena." The best selfies from today's doubleheader will be displayed on the video scoreboard during the first timeout of the second half of each game.
