LOUDONVILLE, NY – The Siena Women's Basketball team opened their season with a win on Thursday night, and look to continue the momentum as they play host to the UAlbany Great Danes in the women's installment of the Albany Cup Sunday at the UHY Center at 1 p.m.
 
Catch the action on ESPN+, with "The Voice of the Saints" Emmanuel Berbari on the call. Pregame coverage tips off at 12:30 p.m. locally on 88.3 FM The Saint with Joe Mixie and Steve Amedio on the call. Complimentary online audio of the broadcast can also be accessed by clicking the corresponding link through iHeart Radio.
 
Fans can also follow along with the corresponding live stats link, while continuous in-game press row updates will be provided via the women's basketball team's official twitter page @Siena_WBB. Join the conversation by using the hashtags #MarchOn, #SienaSaints, and #MAACHoops.
 
The Saints play their second of four straight home games to begin the season. The four straight home games are the most to start a season since the 2010-11 season when the Saints opened with five straight home games – with four coming at the UHY Center.
 
Siena is coming off a season-opening win, defeating the New Hampshire Wildcats by a 20-point margin, 78-58 at the UHY Center Thursday night. The mark was the largest margin of victory in a home opening win in 22 years. The Saints led start to finish, as the game's leading points getter in freshman Elisa Mevius scored for Siena just nine seconds into the game. Mevius finished with 16 points, totaling the highest point total by a freshman in their collegiate debut since Margot Hetzke's 29-point performance in Siena's 58-50 win over Buffalo to open the 2014-15 season.
 
The programs will meet for the 24^th time, as the Great Danes hold a slim 12-11 advantage in the series. Siena and UAlbany squared off last season across town at SEFCU Arena, with the Great Danes prevailing 64-44. UAlbany has won nine of the last 10 meetings, with the lone Siena win coming in November of 2019 in a 52-46 victory at the UHY Center.
 
UAlbany returns much of a roster that made an NCAA appearance a year ago, and began their season with a win over Merrimack by a 67-53 final score on Friday. Graduate student Ellen Hahne led the team with 24 points from nine field goals, including two three-pointers, and four free throws. Sophomore Freja Werth followed with 17 points from seven field goals, including one three-pointer, and two free throws.
 
2022-23 Siena Women's Basketball season tickets starting at $128 ($40 for kids) are on-sale now, and can be secured by logging onto sienasaints.com/tickets, or by contacting the Siena Fan Relations Management Center during traditional business hours Monday-Friday by phone at (518) 487-2202, or by e-mail at sienatickets2@siena.edu. Single game tickets for the Albany Cup women's game at the UHY Center are also available – with prices at $10 for chair back seats, $8 for general admission, and $5 for kids.
 
Siena posted a 10-19 overall record last season, and finished fifth in the MAAC with a 10-10 league mark. Picked ninth in this year's preseason poll, the Saints return just five letter winners while welcoming 11 newcomers – including nine true freshmen – to a squad searching to build off of their success in Jabir's first year at the helm of the program since 1990.