POUGHKEEPSIE, NY– Continuing a stretch of four of its final five regular season games away from home, Siena Women's Basketball remains on the road Saturday evening with a chance to get back in the win column. The Saints (16-10, 10-6) head down I-87 for a chance to sweep MAAC rival Marist (11-13, 7-8 MAAC) on Saturday, February 17 at McCann Arena in Poughkeepsie, with tip-off set for 7 PM.
Saturday's contest can be viewed live on ESPN3 with Geoff Brault on the call and can be heard locally on 88.3 FM The Saint or anywhere on iHeartRadio. Pregame coverage tips off at 6:30 PM, 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.
 The Saints began the week by taking a 91-64 loss at MAAC leader Iona, with the team suffering its largest loss (27) and largest deficit (28) of the season in New Rochelle. Iona made its first ten three-point shots from the field and nearly set an NCAA single-game record by shooting 75.5 percent from the floor in the game. Down by 20 just before the half, the Saints rallied to cut the deficit to nine prior to the end of the third quarter, but could not come any closer. Sophomore Anajah Brown returned to the lineup with 18 points and eight rebounds, while classmate Valencia Fontenelle-Posson also went in double-figure scoring with 13.
 Despite beginning the week with a loss, Siena has clinched its first winning record since the 2017-18 campaign, and will aim to secure a first-round bye in the MAAC Tournament in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. At 11-4 at home this season, the Saints have matched the most home victories in a single season since the 2002-03 campaign (12).
The Saints claimed an 83-81 win over Niagara in thrilling fashion last Saturday at the UHY Center. Siena held a 20-point lead just before the half on the Purple Eagles, but lost the advantage for the first time off a go-ahead left side layup from MAAC scoring leader Angel Parker with 4.4 seconds remaining. Following an in-bound on the right baseline from freshman Angel Jones, classmate Elisa Mevius pranced up the court and threw up a 55-foot heave at the buzzer, which went in to secure a Green and Gold victory. The play received national attention and came in at #2 on that evening's Sportscenter Top Ten Plays.
The performance was just the cherry on top to a fantastic week for action for Mevius, who recorded career-highs in scoring in both games. The Grunberg, Germany native went for 24 points against the Jaspers and 26 against the Purple Eagles, allowing her to become the first player in MAAC and program history to receive Player and Rookie of the Week honors in the same week.
Siena has now claimed 11 of the 14 total MAAC Rookie of the Week honors handed out so far this season, with Mevius having done so four times (Nov. 14, Nov. 28, Dec. 5, Feb. 13). The team also did so in each of the first five weeks of the year. Classmate Teresa Seppala has earned Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 21, Dec. 12., Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan 23, Jan. 30, and Feb. 6. Siena has now earned 12 MAAC weekly awards in a single season for the first time 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. Eleven total MAAC Rookie of the Week accolades equals the most in a single campaign in program history, with Seppala ranking second for the most individual rookie honors won.
Siena went 27-32 at the free throw line during last Saturday's win, matching the most free throws made in a game since Jan. 28, 2017 (30 at Monmouth) and the most attempted in a game since Nov. 13, 2018 (at Sacred Heart, 37). The team recorded back-to-back games with more than 20 free throws made after completing 25 in last Thursday's victory over Manhattan.
Siena currently leads the MAAC in scoring offense (68.5) while ranking second in defensive rebounds per-game (26.6), total rebounding (40.7), and steals per-game (9.8). Individually, Brown leads the league in field goal percentage (56.6), total rebounds (188), and offensive rebounds per-game (3.6), while ranking second in rebounds per-game (7.8). Mevius is second in free throw percentage (83.9) and third in total assists (109) and total steals (59), while Ahniysha Jackson is third in field goal percentage (31.7). Brown's 35 blocks so far this season have her away from entering the program's single-season top-ten list as of Feb. 8.
The Saints and the Red Foxes will meet for the 78th time since 1978, with Marist holding a 42-35 all-time advantage in the series. Siena overcame a 14-point deficit in the first meeting en-route to its fourth straight win, and overcame a pair of 20-point Red Fox individual performers to take a 74-67 victory at the UHY Center on Jan. 7. Despite 29 points from Kiara Fisher and 20 from Zaria Shazer, the Saints got four players in double figures and used a 21-11 third quarter advantage to propel them to victory. Seppala went for a then career-best 19 points, while Fontenelle-Posson added 17 and Mevius came one assist off tying the single-game program record with 14. Siena will look for its first season sweeps in consecutive seasons over its I-87 rival since doing so during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, which also marked the last time it took home back-to-back victories in Poughkeepsie.
Marist enters Saturday evening after taking an important 75-66 home win over Manhattan on Thursday night. The Red Foxes held the Jaspers to just 29 percent from beyond-the-arm, with Shazer (22), Fisher (19), and Kendall Krick (14) all contributing double-digit scoring. The win ended a three-game losing skid for Marist, who looks to close out its final two regular season home games on a high note with longtime head coach Brian Georgis set to retire at the end of the year. Marist leads the MAAC in fewest fouls per-game (12.7), free throws per-game (13.3), three-point percentage defense (28.1), and fewest turnovers per-game (15.1), while Shazer is the league's top free throw maker with 111.
