LOUDONVILLE, NY - A new era dawns in Siena Basketball history when alumnus Carmen Maciariello '01 makes his head coaching debut when the Saints tip off their 79th season vs. American at 7:30 p.m. at the Times Union Center. The earliest ever season-opener in program history will serve as the backend of a Siena Basketball doubleheader, which commences with the women hosting Binghamton at 5 p.m. 

Tickets to today's home opening 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. Season tickets can be purchased starting at just $70 by contacting the Siena Fan Relations Management Center by phone at (518) 487-2202, online at sienasaints.com/tickets, by e-mail at sienatickets2@siena.edu, or by stopping by the office located at the Times Union Center (opens at 8:30 a.m.). One ticket is good for admission to both ends of today's doubleheader. 

With today also serving as Election Day, fans who perform their civic duty and vote prior to the game and then present a Board of Elections-issued "I Voted" sticker at the Times Union Center Box Office will receive $5 off a full-priced ticket, which provides admission to both games. Additionally, the first 500 fans in attendance tonight will receive a 2019-20 Siena Basketball schedule magnet. 

Siena enters the 2019-20 season with high expectations following last year's foundational campaign in which the Saints posted a 17-16 overall record and finished tied for second in the MAAC with an 11-7 league mark. The Saints posted a nine-win improvement from the previous year which was tied for the 11th best turnaround nationally, and the team's 17 wins were tied for the most of any MAAC program. Siena has been projected to finish sixth according to this year's MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, and boast MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Jalen Pickett. The unanimous 2018-19 MAAC Rookie of the Year, Pickett is joined by fellow returning starter Manny Camper as well as five newcomers in addition to highly touted transfers Elijah Burns (Notre Dame) and Donald Carey (Mount St. Mary's) who are both set to debut tonight. 

The Saints are an even 39-39 all-time in season-openers, although the program has dropped six of its last seven. However, Siena is an impressive 31-12 (.721) in home openers during the program's Division I era. 

American was projected to finish third in the perennially strong Patriot League after posting a 15-15 overall record last season including a 9-9 mark in league action. The Eagles also boast their league's Preseason Player of the Year in Sa'eed Nelson, although the senior will not play tonight due to NCAA rules regarding summer league participation. 

Siena and American meet for the seventh time tonight, albeit the first time in 30 years. The Saints have captured four of the first six matchups in the brief history between the programs. 

Robert Lee and Kelly O'Donnell have the call of the game on ESPN+. All 14 men's basketball regular season home games this year will be broadcast on the ESPN Family of Networks. The ESPN+ broadcast is accessible by clicking the corresponding link, and offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, 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. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

Pregame coverage commences at 7 p.m. locally on Talk1300 AM and 98.7 FM with A.J. Kanell and Conner Fenlon '12 on the call. 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 hashtag #MarchOn. 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.