FAIRFIELD, CT - Siena Women's Basketball claimed bragging rights in the first-ever Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) bout between the Saints and Sacred Heart (SHU) Pioneers with a 79-59 victory at William H. Pitt Center on Thursday evening.
Siena's (7-8, 4-2 MAAC) 55.8 (29-52) shooting percentage from the floor was a single-game high for the team, while the defense forced SHU (5-10, 1-5 MAAC) to just 9.1 percent from beyond the arc (1-11) - the lowest for an opponent this season.
Three players dropped double-digits points in
Teresa Seppala with 21 (7-12 FG, 3-7 3PT),
Ahniysha Jackson with 19 (7-9 FG, 3-5 3PT), and
Myriam Traore with 13 (5-7 FG, 2-4 3PT).
Anajah Brown did a little bit of everything - scoring eight points, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out four assists, and combining away with a season-high six steals.
Ana Conde was also solid, contributing nine points and six boards.
The Pioneers jumped out of the gates to an early 8-4 lead over the opening half of the first quarter, but Jackson hit a three-pointer and a long two on back-to-back possessions to give the Saints their first lead of the night at 9-8 at the under-five media timeout. SHU rattled off the next five points however, Siena closed out the final 2:30 on a 10-0 run - highlighted by Traore drilling a half court buzzer beater, to lead 19-13 entering the second.
Siena's run continued well into the new quarter, going on a 7-0 stretch over the first five minutes of play to bring the total run to 17-0, until the Pioneers scored for the first time in exactly nine minutes of game time at the 4:24 mark. By halftime, the Saints took a 38-22 lead into the break backed by 23 combined Seppala and Traore points, as well as 56 percent shooting as a unit.
The third quarter treated the Saints no different from beyond the arc, going 3-3 over the first five minutes, as well as 5-6 from the field to open their lead to 54-32. Both teams went on to have their highest scoring quarters of the night, with Siena netting 26 and SHU 21, as the Saints entered the fourth with a comfortable 64-43 advantage before cementing the 20-point win in the fourth.
Siena returns to the court at 2 p.m. on Saturday to host another new MAAC foe in Merrimack. Tickets for the game can be purchased
here, and fans are encouraged to bring five canned goods to the game to benefit the
Regional Food Bank of Northeast New York to receive $5 off a ticket to a future game
.
This post-game recap is proudly presented by
The Brothers that just do Gutters, a proud partner of Siena Athletics. Trust the team that always comes through—on the court and for your home.