ALBANY, NY – Our City. Our Cup. Siena Basketball spun a 16-point second half deficit into as much as a 15-point lead late to complete a dramatic turnaround and reclaim the Albany Cup with a 75-62 triumph over UAlbany in front of 9,561 fans at MVP Arena.
 
Siena (2-0) outscored their crosstown rivals 41-12 over the final 15:47 in a remarkable reversal of fortunes. UAlbany (1-2) broke a 23-all tie late in the first half with a 15-4 run to take a 38-27 lead at the break, and extended their advantage to as much as 16 at 50-34 with 16:03 remaining.
 
With their backs against the wall, the Saints didn't just respond, they kicked the door in. Siena emphatically answered with 18 straight points to wrestle away the Albany Cup and bring it back home to Loudonville.
 
The Saints' decisive run spanned 6:03 and was punctuated by a trio of threes from Guilderland native Andrew Platek, whose final trifecta staked Siena to a 59-55 lead with 7:03 to go. Meanwhile, the Saints were equally impressive on the defensive end down the stretch, holding the Great Danes without a field goal for 8:59.
 
Siena kept its foot firmly on the gas, extending its lead to as many as 15 in the final minute to prevail in the first meeting in five years between the two programs separated by less than eight miles. The Saints now hold an 11-7 advantage over UAlbany since the programs rekindled their rivalry in 2001 following the Great Danes' elevation to the Division I level.
 
Javian McCollum led the way with his second straight 20-point performance on 5-9 shooting including a perfect 3-3 from distance for Siena, which shot 53% (9-17) overall from beyond the arc. McCollum also dished out a career-high tying six assists.
 
Gerald Drumgoole, Jr. led all scorers with 22 points on 5-9 shooting from three for UAlbany, while Da'Kquan Davis and Trey Hutcheson chipped in 10 apiece.
 
Platek meanwhile finished with 15 points for the Saints, which awakened to a 53% second half shooting performance – nearly double their 27% output in the opening stanza. Jackson Stormo added 12 points and eight rebounds in his season debut, while Michael Baer came up big off the bench with eight points and 10 rebounds for Siena which held a decided 42-30 advantage on the glass.
 
The Saints will look to start 3-0 for the second time in three seasons when they host Army West Point Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the backend of a doubleheader with the women's team at MVP Arena. The Siena women tip off the action at 5 p.m. vs. St. Bonaventure.