LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Basketball went on a 27-8 run down the stretch to shake Division III Hobart 75-53 in exhibition action on campus at the UHY Center.
 
Justice Shoats came off the bench to score nine of his game-high 13 points in the second half for Siena. The Lock Haven transfer stuffed the stat sheet, adding four rebounds, four steals, three assists, and a pair of blocks while shooting 6-9 from the field. The Saints swiped 14 steals in total, while adding eight blocks.
 
Siena led for the final 35 minutes while taking a 31-25 lead at the break. Hobart, the defending Liberty League Regular Season and Tournament Champions, narrowed the margin to 37-36 early in the second half.
 
But the Saints responded down the stretch with their decisive run to prevail in the program's first exhibition game in three years, and first on campus since 2017. Siena shot an even 50% in the second half to pull away.
 
Twelve of the 13 players who saw action scored as part of a balanced offensive output for the Saints, who connected at a 60% clip inside the arc (25-42) to offset a 3-22 three-point shooting performance. Newcomer Major Freeman joined Shoats in double figures with 11 points.
 
Allen Mordi and reigning Liberty League Tournament MVP Aidan Rodgers scored nine points apiece to pace the Statesmen, who return their top-four scorers from last season's 22-win team which advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Hobart shot just 33% from the field including only 4-18 from distance.
 
Siena now has nine days to fine tune things before lacing them up for real. The Saints are set to officially tip-off their 2024-25 season when they host Brown on college basketball's opening night, Monday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. at MVP Arena.