POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - Siena Basketball begins a season-long three-game road trip when the Saints battle MAAC rival Marist Friday night at 7 p.m. at McCann Arena. Siena has won three straight road games after starting 0-3 away from home.
Winners of three straight and five of seven, Siena (5-6, 2-1) picked up right where they left off with a 69-62 triumph over Fairfield Sunday in their first game action in 29 days. The Saints' 29-day gap between games is currently the longest nationally this season, while the 37-day span between home contests was tied for the fifth longest stretch in the country.
Now Siena looks to carry over - and keep - its momentum on the road, as the Saints play away from home for the first time in 34 days. Two of the Saints' three victories during their three-game road win streak have come by double digits.
Marist (7-7, 2-3) meanwhile has dropped two of three to begin the New Year. Sophomore Ricardo Wright paces the Red Foxes at 14.1 points per game, while freshman phenom Jao Ituka adds 13.1. A league-leading three-time MAAC Rookie of the Week, Ituka swept conference honors in also earning MAAC Player of the Week acclaim on Dec. 20.
Siena has dominated the all-time series against their I-87 rivals to the tune of 60-28 over 88 all-time meetings. The Saints have won six of seven, and 24 of their last 30 matchups overall against Marist. However, 11 of the 12 contests in Poughkeepsie have been decided by single-digits and by an average of just 5.2 points, with Siena holding a slim 7-5 advantage in those matchups.
Dean Darling and Steve Eggink have the call of the game on ESPN3, which can be viewed 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.
Emmanuel Berbari and Conner Fenlon '12 have the call of the action locally in the Capital Region on Talk 1300 AM and 98.7 FM, which can also be listened to free of charge by clicking the corresponding link. Pregame coverage courtside from McCann Arena commences at 6:30 p.m.
In-game updates will be provided courtside via the team's Twitter account @SienaMBB. For more information on the matchup, including both teams' game notes and live stats links, click the corresponding links.
