NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – Siena Basketball begins the program's 36^th season of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference competition with the annual Western New York trip which commences against Niagara Friday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Gallagher Center.
 
Todd Callen and Howard Simon 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 Conner Fenlon '12 will have the radio call of the game locally in the Capital Region on JAMZ 96.3 FM, with pregame coverage beginning at 6 p.m.
 
Siena (4-4) enters the annual December conference opening weekend looking to build upon the program's first .500 or better month since January 2023. The Saints wrapped November by snapping a four-game skid with a solid 71-58 neutral site victory over Bucknell Saturday in Northeast Pennsylvania, in a homecoming for head coach Gerry McNamara (Scranton) and Justice Shoats (Wilkes-Barre). Shoats scored 19 points in the victory, bringing him within eight of 1,000 for his collegiate career.
 
Picked ninth according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll following a last place finish, Siena looks to snap an eight-game losing streak vs. conference opposition dating back to last season. The Saints have won four of their last five conference lid-lifters, and are an impressive 24-11 (.686) all-time in MAAC openers. However, Siena is just 13-22 (.371) in conference road openers.
 
Siena is tipping off MAAC action with the annual Western New York trip for just the third time. The Saints split each of those trips in both 2005 and 2013, winning at Niagara and then losing at Canisius each time. Siena will play both Niagara and Canisius 11 years to the date of that 2013 trip.
 
Overall, this marks the 29^th time in the program's 36 seasons in which the Saints will play both Niagara and Canisius on the same swing to Western New York. Siena has swept the trip five times, split 13 times, and been swept 10 times. The Saints have gone just 3-9 on their past six such trips, being swept three times.
 
Niagara (3-5) returns to Monteagle Ridge for the first time in 32 days following a pair of wins in three games at the Lafayette Classic last weekend. The Purple Eagles were projected to finish eighth according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, one spot ahead of Siena.
 
Siena and Niagara meet for the 114^th time in a tightly contested series in which the Saints hold a 59-54 edge. Siena is set to face Niagara for the third time in its past four games vs. MAAC opponents, as it seeks to enact a measure of revenge against a Purple Eagles program which has ended each of its past two seasons. Niagara has won four of the past five matchups overall, while the Saints are 7-4 in their last 11 trips to Monteagle Ridge.