ALBANY, NY – They're back! Siena Basketball returns to the Capital Region for its first home game in exactly five weeks when the Saints host sister school St. Bonaventure in the annual battle for the Br. Ed Coughlin Franciscan Cup Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at MVP Arena.
 
Tickets to the Br. Ed Coughlin Franciscan Cup start at just $17 on gameday (service fees apply if purchasing through Ticketmaster) and can be secured by clicking the corresponding link, in-person at the MVP Arena Box Office, or by contacting Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000. The Siena Fan Relations Management Center is on-hand to handle all ticket-related inquiries, and can be reached by phone at (518) 487-2202 or by e-mail at sienatickets2@siena.edu. For all Siena Basketball ticket-related information, log onto sienasaints.com/tickets.
 
The Br. Ed Coughlin Franciscan Cup tips off the Catholic Charities Christmas Series, which includes all four Siena Men's and Women's Basketball home games against Catholic institutions in the week leading up to Christmas. All fans who donate to Catholic Charities at any of these games can secure a special voucher either to purchase a ticket for just $12.25 to see the men host archrival Iona on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 2 p.m. at MVP Arena, or for a complimentary ticket to a women's regular season home game.
 
Siena (5-5, 1-1) returns to MVP Arena for the first time since a 74-66 victory over American on Nov. 12. The 35-day stretch between home games is tied for the fifth-longest nationally this season. The Saints are now set to play four of their next five at MVP Arena to bridge the New Year.
 
St. Bonaventure (10-1) arrives in Albany receiving votes in this week's Associated Press Top-25 Poll for the first time since November 2021 following a 74-70 victory vs. Providence Saturday. The Bonnies are off to the program's best start since beginning their 1969-70 Final Four season with 12 consecutive victories.
 
The sister schools meet for the 45^th time overall, including the 14^th since the Franciscan Cup trophy was devised by the schools' Presidents to commemorate the annual renewal of the rivalry in 2010. St. Bonaventure holds an 8-5 edge in the official Franciscan Cup matchup, where the home team has won five straight and seven of the past eight.
 
Robert Lee and Kelly O'Donnell have the call of the game on ESPN+, which can be viewed by clicking the corresponding link. The "Voice of the Saints" Emmanuel Berbari and former Saint Andy Grazulis '92 will have the radio call of the game locally in the Capital Region on JAMZ 96.3 FM, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m.
 
Social media updates will be provided courtside throughout the day by following the Saints' official X (formerly Twitter) page @SienaMBB. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #MarchOn. Upload pictures of yourself and your friends enjoying the game through the Selfiefinder platform by clicking the corresponding link at the top of the page, or by downloading the Selfiefinder app and searching "Siena." The best selfies from the game will be displayed on the video scoreboard during in the second half.