LOUDONVILLE, NY – The No. 5 seed Siena Women's Basketball team gets set for their MAAC Quarterfinal matchup with the No. 4 seed Niagara Purple Eagles at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey Thursday afternoon. The winner of the game will move on to face the top-seeded Fairfield Stags in the MAAC Semifinals on Friday at 11 a.m.
 
Siena makes its 33rd appearance in the MAAC Tournament since joining the conference in 1989-90. The Saints are 28-31 all-time in the MAAC Tournament and captured their lone championship in 2001.  Siena won its MAAC Tournament opener now 11 of the last 13 years (including last year's opening win vs. Niagara). The Saints are now 23-9 (.719) all-time in MAAC Tournament openers. Siena has advanced to the MAAC Quarterfinals for 16 of the last 18 years (including 2022).
 
Siena is 5-1 all-time vs. Niagara in the MAAC Tournament. The programs are meeting for the seventh time, with the last meeting in last year's First Round as Siena prevailed 74-65. The last time Siena played as the #5 seed was 2014-15, where they went 1-1 with a quarterfinal win over Iona before falling to #1 Quinnipiac. That game would be their last appearance against a #4 seed, and also their last win over a #4 seed.
 
Siena and Niagara meet for the 85^th time, with the Saints leading the series 50-34. As a head coach, Jim Jabir is 5-3 all-time against the Purple Eagles - all at Siena. His last victory over the Purple Eagles came on Feb. 26, 1990 in a 113-80 win at Niagara. The 113 points are the most points scored in a single game in program history.
 
Fifth year forward Selena Philoxy posted career highs in both points (21) and rebounds (19) to help power Siena Women's Basketball to a victory in its regular season finale Saturday afternoon. The Saints completed the season sweep over MAAC foe Monmouth (14-15, 9-11) with a 69-65 win at the OceanFirst Bank Center in West Long Branch, New Jersey to lock up its first bye in the postseason tournament in four years.
 
Philoxy recorded her third 20-point effort of the season, while grabbing the second-most boards in a game by a MAAC player this season and tied for the most by a Saint since current Siena assistant coach Heather Stec dropped 23 rebounds against Saint Peter's on January 21, 2007. The Queens, New York product was joined by classmate Rayshel Brown in recording a double-double, with the Queens, NY native going for her third of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Ahniysha Jackson nailed a pair of second-half threes as part of a 12-point effort for her third game in double-figures in the last four tries.
 
Fifth-year Rayshel Brown earned her first career postseason award when she was named All-MAAC Second Team on Monday. She ranks ninth in the league in scoring at 13.14 points per game. Brown also ranks 16th in the league in rebounding at 5.68 boards per game. Freshman Imani Harris joined Brown in the awards as she earned MAAC All-Rookie Team honors. Harris became the first Siena Saint to earn such an honor since Jackie Benitez in 2015-16.
 
The Saints enter the postseason ranked first in the MAAC in 3-point field goal defense, and second in steals. The Saints trail only Niagara in steals. The other Saint in the Top 20 in scoring in the MAAC is senior Margo Peterson - who sits at 10.38 points per game. Peterson ranks second in the MAAC in 3-point field goal percentage (.378). Philoxy ranks fifth in the league at 8.29 rebounds per game. She is one rebound away from grabbing 200 on the season and will become the first 200+ rebounder for the Saints since Maddie Sims (234) in 2018-19.
 
Siena's win at Monmouth was their first win of the season when they have allowed more than 60 points in a game. The other nine wins this season came when Siena held opponents to 59 points or less.
 
The last time the two teams met was back on Feb. 7 as the Siena Saints couldn't find a way around the highly-ranked defense of the Niagara Purple Eagles as the Saints fell 65-58 at the UHY Center.
 
Sisters Aaliyah and Angel Parker combined for 36 of Niagara's 65 total points on the night, with Aaliyah snagging eight rebounds to pair with her team-high 19 points. Olivia Mason snatched 10 rebounds, as the Purple Eagles forced 32 Siena turnovers for the second time this season. Niagara turned those 32 turnovers into 23 points.
 
Leading the offensive charge for the Saints was fifth-year Rayshel Brown, as she scored a team-high 16 points with seven rebounds, two blocks, and two assists. Freshman Imani Harris added 10 points, with classmate Valencia Fontenelle-Posson pouring in nine points. Fifth-year Selena Philoxy led the battle on the boards with 11 rebounds.
 
The Purple Eagles (14-14, 11-9) clinched the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye with an 11-9 mark in league play - their first winning season in MAAC action in 17 years. The last time Niagara earned a first-round bye in the MAAC Tournament was in 2013 as the No. 5 seed. Sisters Angel and Aaliyah Parker received All-MAAC recognition for their stellar seasons. Angel was a unanimous First Team selection, and Aaliyah was a consensus selection to the All-Rookie Team. Aaliyah Parker was also unanimously named MAAC Rookie of the Year Wednesday morning. Angel finished the regular season top-four in the MAAC in 10 different statistical categories; fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.14), third in field goal attempts (420), field goals made (119), free throw attempts (135), free throws made (96), points per game (17.5), and first in steals (113) and steals per game (4.2).
 
Fans can catch the game on ESPN+, which can be accessed 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, Playstation, and Xbox One. Greg Mescall and Dianne Nolan have the call, with Phyllis Mangina reporting sideline.
 
Pregame coverage tips off at 2 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.
 
Social media updates will be provided courtside throughout the day by following the Saints' official twitter page @Siena_WBB. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #MarchOn, #SienaSaints, and #MAACHoops.