ROME, ITALY – Siena Basketball couldn't have envisioned a better start to its 10-day, three-game Italian Tour. Following two days soaking in some of Rome's most historic landmarks while also getting a taste of the local cuisine and culture, the Saints got down to business by capping their stay in the Eternal City with a dominant 84-39 victory over Stella Azzurra at Arena Altero Felici.
 
"I was really excited," said head coach Carmen Maciariello. "For me, it was a great first step. Really proud of the effort. This is great for this team, great for this collective unity we're building every single day."
 
Twelve of the 14 players who saw action scored for Siena – including four who reached double figures – in a total team effort. Rising sophomore Jared Billups paced a balanced attack with a game-high 15 points on 5-6 shooting, while adding seven rebounds and a pair of blocks.
 
"I think we're going to be really good," noted Billups, who was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team last season. "The way we were looking today – the way we were meshing and sharing the ball – we're going to be really good."
 
Billups set the tone early, scoring 10 of his points in the first of four, 10-minute quarters which saw the Saints hold a 23-15 advantage. Siena quickly pulled away in the second quarter, outscoring Stella Azzurra by a 21-4 margin to claim a commanding 25-point halftime advantage of 44-19. The Saints capped the quarter on a 16-2 run, punctuated by a quick steal of the final inbounds pass and buzzer-beating three by incoming freshman Mason Courtney.
 
Siena outscored Stella Azzurra by a 10-point margin in both the third and fourth quarters to cruise to an impressive win to open the trip. Incoming freshman Michael Eley made an immediate impact, tallying 14 points on 6-9 shooting, and stuffed the stat sheet with nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals to go along with several electrifying dunks. Graduate student Andrew Platek also added 14 points, while classmate Jackson Stormo contributed 11 points and six rebounds to round out the Saints' double figure scorers.
 
Valentin Curbelo led the way with eight points for Stella Azzurra, which competes in Italy's Serie A2 league, while Gabriele Kavosh added six points.
 
Siena, which returns 10 letterwinners and debuted seven newcomers – including six true freshmen – for a team looking to build off of four straight top-three MAAC finishes, shot 53% (30-57) from the field while registering 15 assists and 12 steals in a cohesive effort.
 
The Saints depart Rome with memories for a lifetime, as they embark upon the second-leg of their trip Sunday which takes the squad to Assisi. Siena will also visit its namesake, Siena, as well as San Gimignano, Florence, and Lake Como before concluding the tour with their final two games next Friday, Aug. 26 against Pallacanestro Crema of Serie B, and Saturday, Aug. 27 at UCC Assigeco Piacenza of Serie A2.
 
Follow the Saints throughout their tour of Italy through the team's social media pages, as well as the team website at sienasaints.com. The team's Twitter (@SienaMBB), Instagram (@sienambb), and Facebook (@SienaBasketball) pages will be sources of daily information throughout the trip, including pictures, videos, and live game coverage posts. Additionally, various members of the Saints are conducting daily takeovers of the team's Instagram story.