LOUDONVILLE, NY – Winners of each of its last two, five of its last six, six of its last eight, and seven of its last ten games, Siena Women's Basketball continues a three-game home stand with its first Kids Day game in three years on Thursday morning. The Saints (8-5, 2-1) battle Fairfield (7-5, 3-0) at the UHY Center on Thursday, January 5, with tip-off set for 11 AM.
Thursday's contest can be viewed live on ESPN+ with the "Voice of the Saints" Emmanuel Berbari and Brian Rubino on the call, and can be heard locally on 88.3 FM The Saint or anywhere on iHeartRadio. Pregame coverage tips off at 12:30 p.m., with Joe Mixie and longtime color commentator Steve Amedio on the call. 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.
Siena is set for hundreds of Capital Region school children to descend upon the UHY Center for the return of its annual Kids Day contest. Siena is 3-7 all-time when hosting a Kids Day contest, and will look to claim victory for the first time since a 62-56 overtime win over Manhattan on Jan. 9, 2019. The Saints have hosted Fairfield one other time on Kids Day, falling in a 66-59 decision on Jan. 10, 2013.
Having started the year 5-2 in home contests for the first time since doing so during the 2017-18 campaign, the Green and Gold kicked off 2023 in the win column with a 72-62 victory over MAAC foe Canisius on Sunday, Jan. 1 at the UHY Center. The team shot a season-best 48 percent from the field and boasted five players in double-figure scoring for the first time since Dec. 30, 2015. Sophomore Anajah Brown registered a double-double for the fourth time in the last five games with 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, while junior Ahniysha Jackson went for double-figure scoring for the ninth time this season with a team-high 17 points, and freshman Elisa Mevius tied a single-game best with seven assists.
At 8-5 on the year, Siena has matched its best start in 20 years, posting an identical 8-5 mark through 13 games to start the 2014-15 season. The Saints are tied for the most overall wins in the MAAC so far this season, and have started 2-1 in MAAC play for the first time since winning each of its first three conference contests during the 2018-19 campaign.
Siena currently leads the MAAC in field goal percentage defense (35.2), rebounds per-game (43.6, 22nd nationally), defensive rebounds per-game (29.0), and three-point defense (27.3), while ranking second in rebound margin (+4.2), offensive rebounds per-game (14.6), scoring offense (65.6), and steals per-game (9.2). Individually, Brown leads the MAAC in total rebounds (112), and offensive rebounds per-game (3.7), while ranking second in total blocks (22), blocks per-game (1.7), field goal percentage (58.6), and rebounds per-game (8.6). Mevius ranks third in free throw percentage (80) and total steals (29), while classmate Angel Jones is third in assist/turnover ratio (1.5).
While continuing the reign as the top rebounding team in the league, Siena grabbed 53 boards at Rider on Dec. 29, matching last year's rebounding performance at Rider on Jan. 20, 2021 for the most rebounds in a single game since Nov. 27, 2015 at Navy (63). The Saints' best single-game rebound performances in each of the last three seasons have all come when playing the Broncs.
Siena went 5-3 during a stretch of six of eight contests away from home from Nov. 22 - Dec. 29, including a season-long three-game win streak from Dec. 3-10. The Saints went 4-1 during the month of December, turning in its best performance in the last month of the year since December 2005 (5-1). The team also won three consecutive non-conference contests for the first time in eight years.
Siena claimed MAAC Rookie of the Week honors in each of the first five weeks to begin the 2022-23 campaign. Mevius won Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 14, Nov. 28, and Dec. 5, while classmate Teresa Seppala earned honors on Nov. 21 & Dec. 12. Siena has now earned both five MAAC weekly awards and four MAAC Rookie of the Week honors in a single season since the 2014-15 season, when it captured 13 total weekly honors and then-freshman Margot Hetzke won MAAC Rookie of Week accolades nine times.
The Saints and the Stags will meet for the 82nd time since 1987, with Fairfield holding a 49-32 all-time advantage. Siena handed the 2022 MAAC Champions their only regular season conference loss of last year by way of a 69-56 victory at the UHY Center on January 22, 2022. The Saints shot 48 percent from the field while making 11 of 22 three-point shots to cap a season-long five-game win streak. Siena went on to fall to the Stags at Webster Bank Arena by way of a 64-58 decision on February 12, 2022. Last year's win ended a string of eight consecutive Fairfield series victories from 2018-20, with the Stags still having won nine of the last ten matchups. Siena will look for consecutive home wins over its conference rival for the first time since the 2016-17 and 2017-18 meetings at the UHY Center. The team claimed its only MAAC Championship to-date with a win over the Stags to claim the 2001 MAAC title in Buffalo via a 70-68 triumph on March 4, 2001.
Looking to continue its reign of the MAAC under first-year head coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis, Fairfield is 3-0 to start MAAC play and has won four of five overall, with recent wins coming against Saint Peter's, Iona, and Mount St. Mary's. Picked to finish fourth in the MAAC Preseason coaches Poll after claiming its first title in 20 years last season, the Stags return Preseason Second Team All-MAAC selection Callie Cavanaugh and Preseason Third Team All-MAAC Honoree Andrea Hernangomez to its roster as previous starters. The Stags lead the league in scoring offense (65.9), free throw attempts per-game (19.17), and assist-turnover ratio (0.84), while Cavanaugh is the MAAC leader in scoring (17.9), total points (215), and field goals (88).
