LOUDONVILLE, NY – In their ARC opener of the 2019-20 season, the Siena women's basketball team couldn't have asked for a better result on Saturday night, as they forced 27 turnovers and got 24 points offensively from senior Sabrina Piper to help defeat the Sacred Heart Pioneers by a final score of 68-57.
 
Siena's 27 turnovers created 23 points off turnovers for the night, as Piper led the offensive charge, while adding in seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Sophomore Lala Watts was strong in the interior, putting in nine points and four blocks. Freshman Ashley Williamson scored her first collegiate points, finishing second in scoring as she tossed in 11 points with a pair of steals. Junior Marilena Georstergiou fell one rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, setting a new career-high in rebounds in the process.
 
Adrianne Hagood collected a team-high 23 points as she dueled with Piper for the game high. Jessica Woods would score 15 points and grab nine rebounds, falling just shy of a double-double. As a team, Sacred Heart shot 33 percent over the first three quarter, picking up the pace with a 57 percent clip in the fourth quarter.
 
The Green and Gold came out with strong defense, holding Sacred Heart scoreless over the first 5:58 of the first quarter. By then, the Saints had built an 11-0 lead thanks to eight points in the paint to go with a Williamson three-pointer. Sacred Heart found the hoop by then end of the quarter putting in 12 points over those final three plus minutes, but sophomore Haley Blasetti had the final say on the scoring, as her first collegiate bucket came at the buzzer to end the first quarter for a 19-12 Saints lead.
 
Siena continued to push in the second quarter, opening up a lead as large as 16 when they struck on the fast break on a Gerostergiou layup with 3:46 remaining. That lead would get to 19 points by the halftime horn as Siena would lead for the first time this season at the halfway mark. The break wouldn't help the Pioneers, as Siena continued to create turnovers and make baskets, opening a 27 point lead by the end of the third.
 
In the fourth, Sacred Heart was able to create some offense as Siena had held them to no more than 12 in a quarter on the night. The roles reversed in the fourth, as Sacred Heart ate into the Siena lead, ultimately scoring 24 points while holding Siena to just eight points in the final frame. The Pioneers would get as close as 10 points on a Johnson layup with 1:28 to play, but the Saints answered with a Piper jumper to move the lead back to 12. The Green and Gold held on through the final buzzer, snagging the first win of the season.
 
Siena outscored the Pioneers 32-30 in the paint, while also outpacing Sacred Heart 14-7 in fast break points. The Saints also had solid contributions off the bench, getting 22 bench points to Sacred Heart's nine.
 
The Saints return to the floor on Tuesday, Nov. 19 when they head south to Boca Raton, Florida to take on Florida Atlantic. Opening tip for the matchup will go up at 7 p.m.