BRIDGEPORT, CT – Siena Basketball bounced back from a tough setback Friday night with a gritty 62-56 victory over Fairfield Sunday afternoon at Webster Bank Arena. Anthony Gaines led the way with 15 points, eight rebounds, and three steals for the Saints, who have won eight straight over the Stags after sweeping the regular season series for the fourth year in a row.
 
Colby Rogers scored 12 points – none bigger than a clutch step-back with the shot clock winding down with 52.1 seconds to go – for Siena (10-9, 7-4) which concluded their grueling six-game, 12-day stretch with a 4-2 record. Jackson Stormo added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Saints who converted 16-19 free throws (84%) in the six-point triumph.
 
Taj Benning was the lone player in double figures for Fairfield (10-12, 4-7) with 10 points on just 3-10 shooting. Five other Stags scored between 6-9 points, as Siena held Fairfield to just 39% shooting including only 3-18 from three.  
 
The Saints led for nearly 38 minutes, but never by double figures in another tightly contested MAAC battle. Siena went on a 10-2 spurt late in the first half to open as much as a nine-point advantage at 21-12 at the 4:54 mark, and took a 30-24 lead at the break.
 
The Saints went back up by as many as eight points on three separate occasions early in the second half, but the Stags induced nine second half turnovers to hang around and chip away. Benning finished a second chance opportunity to forge the only second half tie for Fairfield at 52-all at the 4:11 mark.
 
But Stormo scored on a put back on the ensuing possession at the other end, and then came up with a huge block defensively to send Siena to the final media timeout on top. The Saints then proceeded to connect on all six of their free throw attempts over the final 1:29 – with Rogers' key field goal mixed in – to improve to 5-1 in afternoon contests.
 
Following its grueling stretch, Siena will now have four full days to prepare for its rematch with defending MAAC Tournament Champion and first-place Iona. The Saints return to action when they host the Gaels in a nationally televised primetime showdown on ESPNU Friday night at the special time of 9 p.m. at MVP Arena.