LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Basketball aims to reclaim the Br. Ed Coughlin Franciscan Cup when the Saints battle sister-school St. Bonaventure Monday night at 7 p.m. at MVP Arena.
 
Tickets to the Franciscan Cup start at just $10 (service fees apply if purchasing through Ticketmaster) and can be purchased by clicking the corresponding link, in-person at the MVP Arena Box Office, or by contacting Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000. The Siena Fan Relations Management Center is on-hand to handle all ticket-related inquiries, and can be reached by phone at (518) 487-2202 or by e-mail at sienatickets2@siena.edu.
 
Sister-schools Siena (5-5, 1-0) and St. Bonaventure (6-5) meet for the 12^th consecutive non-conference season since the Franciscan Cup trophy was devised by the schools' Presidents to commemorate the annual renewal of the rivalry in 2010. The trophy was renamed the Br. Ed Coughlin Franciscan Cup in 2019 in honor of the late Siena College President and St. Bonaventure alumnus.
 
The Bonnies hold a 7-4 advantage through the first 11 official Franciscan Cup matchups, which saw the programs alternate three-game winning streak through the first nine tilts. St. Bonaventure reclaimed the Franciscan Cup last season, following the 23^rd ranked Bonnies 75-47 triumph in the season-opener in Western New York. Overall, the sister-schools have meet 42 times dating back to 1939, with St. Bonaventure holding a 32-10 all-time advantage.
 
Both teams enter this year's meeting each looking to snap two-game losing streaks. The Saints are coming off back-to-back road losses at BIG EAST foe Georgetown and defending CAA Champion Delaware, while the Bonnies have dropped consecutive contests to Iona and Florida Gulf Coast.
 
Siena returns to the friendly confines of MVP Arena for just the second – and final time – during a grueling 11-game stretch. Monday's matchup also marks the Saints' first game in eight days dating back to the Delaware defeat on Dec. 11, as the program broke for final exams. Siena enters play ranked in the top-50 nationally in both blocks (4.7 – 45^th) and three-point field goal percentage (.375 – 49^th), and has shot a scintillating 80.4% from the free throw line over the past eight games.
 
Overall, new-look St. Bonaventure has dropped three of four to open December following a four-game winning streak – which included a 12-point neutral site win over ACC foe Notre Dame – to conclude November. The Bonnies are the only Division I team not to return any points or minutes from last year's squad, which won 23 games and advanced to the NIT Semifinals. St. Bonaventure's leading scoring is Daryl Banks III (16.5), whom the Saints swept last season when he suited up for Elite Eight squad and MAAC Tournament Champion Saint Peter's.
 
Robert Lee and Kelly O'Donnell have the call of the game on ESPN+, which can be viewed by clicking the corresponding link. "The Voice of the Saints" Emmanuel Berbari and former Saint Andy Grazulis '92 have the radio call of the action locally in the Capital Region on ALT 104.9 FM and online at alt1049albany.com.
 
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 in the second half.