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Siena University Athletics

Senior Day

Men's Basketball

Saints in Search of Perfect Senior Night Wednesday

Saints Look to Wrap Up Undefeated Home Season, Clinch Share of MAAC Regular Season Title

ALBANY, NY - Siena Basketball looks to complete an undefeated regular season at home and clinch a share of a MAAC Regular Season Championship when the Saints host Niagara on Senior Night at 7 p.m. at the Times Union Center, sponsored by American National Insurance. Siena will honor its five seniors - Elijah Burns, Ben Diamond, Sammy Friday IV, Matt Hein, and student manager Daniel Cohen - in a special pregame Senior Day ceremony at 6:45 p.m. 

Tickets to the game 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. The Siena Fan Relations Management Center is at your service to handle all your ticket inquiries, and can be reached 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. on weekdays).

The Siena Fan Relations Management Center is currently accepting deposits on 2020-21 Siena Men's Basketball Season Tickets. All current season ticket holders who renew their season tickets prior to the game will be automatically entered to win two FREE tickets to all Siena Men's Basketball MAAC Tournament games in Atlantic City next week. Fans can renew their season tickets at the game by stopping the Siena Fan Relations Management Center table located on the concourse outside Section 119. 

Siena College is excited to co-host the 2020 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds Mar. 19-21 at the Times Union Center. The Road to the Final Four for eight teams will begin in Albany, and fans will have a chance at tonight's game to check out the 2020 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship trophy. The trophy will be on display for photo opportunities with fans from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Times Union Center atrium. 

Siena (17-10, 13-5) enters tonight's game with an opportunity to both complete an undefeated regular season at the Times Union Center, and also clinch a share of a MAAC Regular Season Championship. 

The Saints are a perfect 13-0 in Albany this season, and one of just 15 remaining Division I teams who are unbeaten at home. Siena is in search of just the program's third undefeated home season in 23 years since making the full-time move downtown in 1997-98. The Saints previously went a perfect 17-0 in Albany in both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. 

Siena can secure at least a share of the program's eighth MAAC Regular Season Championship with a win tonight. The Saints enter the final three days of the regular season controlling their own destiny for the No. 1 seed in the MAAC Tournament and an automatic bid to the NIT. Siena can clinch the program's fourth outright MAAC Championship and the No. 1 seed in the tournament with victories in each of its final two games, or a split coupled with a Saint Peter's loss on Friday vs. Iona. The Saints have already locked up a top-two seed in next week's MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City, and will begin their quest for a sixth MAAC Tournament Championship in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Mar. 11 at either 7 or 9:30 p.m. 

Niagara (11-18, 9-9) is fresh off a home sweep of contenders Saint Peter's and Iona last weekend on Monteagle Ridge to vault into the top half of the MAAC Standings. The Purple Eagles currently hold down the No. 5 seed and final First Round bye in the MAAC Tournament. 

Siena and Niagara meet for the 109th time, with the Saints' 58 victories their most against any one opponent. The Saints have won 10 of the past 13 meetings, including six of the last seven in Albany. The Purple Eagles are the only MAAC team whom Siena has not beaten yet this season. Niagara rallied from an 11-point deficit to take their first lead with just 44.9 seconds remaining to edge the Saints 72-71 in Western New York last month. Since that defeat, Siena has won 10 of its last 11 including seven straight, to mark the program's longest winning streak in 10 years. 

Robert Lee and Kelly O'Donnell have the call of the game on ESPN3, as well as the simulcast locally in the Capital Region on My4 Albany. The ESPN3 broadcast is accessible by clicking the corresponding link, on smartphones and tablets via the ESPN app, and on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. My4 Albany is simulcasting all 12 remaining Siena Basketball regular season home games, which are available to Spectrum subscribers in the Capital Region to view on Channel 4. 

Pregame coverage commences at 6:30 p.m. locally on Talk1300 AM and 98.7 FM with A.J. Kanell and Andy Grazulis '92 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 the game 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 the game will be displayed on the video scoreboard during the first timeout of the second half. 



 
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Players Mentioned

Elijah Burns

#1 Elijah Burns

F
6' 8"
Graduate Student
Ben Diamond

#13 Ben Diamond

G
5' 11"
Senior
Sammy Friday IV

#35 Sammy Friday IV

F
6' 9"
Senior
Matt Hein

#5 Matt Hein

G
6' 4"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Elijah Burns

#1 Elijah Burns

6' 8"
Graduate Student
F
Ben Diamond

#13 Ben Diamond

5' 11"
Senior
G
Sammy Friday IV

#35 Sammy Friday IV

6' 9"
Senior
F
Matt Hein

#5 Matt Hein

6' 4"
Graduate Student
G