ALBANY, NY – Elijah Burns hit the game-winning free throw with 2.3 seconds remaining as Siena Basketball completed the regular season series sweep of four-time defending MAAC Tournament Champion Iona 65-64 in front of 6,897 fans at the Times Union Center. Burns, Manny Camper, and Jalen Pickett combined to score 58 of the 65 points for the Saints who have won four straight and seven of eight to move into a tie for first-place in the MAAC Standings with idle Saint Peter's.

Isaiah Ross capped a 15-4 run to give Iona (9-13, 7-8) its first lead of the second half at 62-61 with 83 seconds remaining. However, Burns drew fouls on each of the final four possessions for Siena (14-10, 10-5) and sunk a pair of free throws to put the Saints in front 64-62 with 30.2 seconds to go.

After E.J. Crawford knotted the score one final time with a pair of free throws at the other end with 9.5 seconds left, Burns drove hard to the rim out of a timeout to draw the decisive foul. He made the first and missed the second but the Gaels, who burned their final timeout after the first free throw, didn't have enough time to get a shot off as Siena survived.

Camper led the way with 21 points on 7-10 shooting and nine rebounds for Siena who improved to a perfect 13-0 at home with their first sweep of perennial league power Iona in a decade. Burns finished with 19 points and seven rebounds for the Saints who secured just their second win in their last 12 matchups against the Gaels in Albany.

Crawford scored a game-high 23 points on 8-13 shooting for Iona who saw their four-game winning streak extinguished. Tajuan Agee added 19 points and seven rebounds and Ross finished with 16 points for the Gaels who held a 42-28 advantage in points in the paint and a 22-9 margin in points off turnovers.

Siena broke open an initially tight first half with an 18-4 run over the final 6:55 to surge into the lockerroom with a 40-28 lead at the break. The Saints shot 52% in the first half to just 39% for Iona.

Siena ultimately led by as many as 13 points early in the second half. Despite shooting just 28% from the field in the stanza, the Saints still maintained a 10-point cushion at 57-47 with 8:23 to go.

Pickett posted a double-double with 18 points, a career-high 11 rebounds, and seven assists for Siena who held a 39-29 rebounding advantage including 17 off the offensive glass.  

Following a stretch where they played six of eight within the friendly confines of the Times Union Center, Siena will have four of five games on the road to conclude regular season action. The Saints open a three-game road trip Sunday with a 2 p.m. tip at Fairfield on their campus in Alumni Hall.