WORCESTER, MA – Siena Basketball is off to its best non-conference start in a decade. Justice Shoats poured in a game-high 22 points, and the freshmen came through in the clutch, as the Saints held off Holy Cross 73-69 at Hart Center Arena.
 
Freshman reserve Francis Folefac scored 14 points on 7-9 shooting, and found classmate Christian Jones for the go-ahead corner three with 1:52 remaining, to send Siena (4-2) to the program's best six-game start in non-conference action since the 2015-16 season.  
 
Aiden Disu tallied 19 points on 7-11 shooting and added eight rebounds for Holy Cross (1-6) which fell short in its home-opener. Tyler Boston and Gabe Warren added 10 points apiece for the Crusaders which lost despite shooting 54% from the field.
 
But the Saints shot 58% - their highest percentage since connecting at a 63% clip on Jan. 15, 2024 at Niagara – including 68% (30-44) from inside the arc to knock off Holy Cross for the fifth time in the past six seasons.
 
Meeting for the ninth time in the past nine non-conference seasons, the teams played to no more than a two-possession game throughout in a contest which featured 13 ties and 10 lead changes. Both sides shot nearly 60% apiece in the first half to play to a 39-all deadlock at the break.
 
Neither team led by more than four throughout a tightly contested second half. Aidan Richard drew the Crusaders even one final time at 67 on a three with 2:23 remaining, but the Siena freshman duo connected on the ensuing possession for the decisive basket. Folefac saved a loose ball from going out of bounds and kicked it into the left corner to Jones who calmly sank what proved to be the winning basket.
 
Tasman Goodrick scored 12 points on 5-6 shooting for the Saints which scored 50 of their 73 total points in the paint. Brendan Coyle rounded out the double figure scorers with 10 points and six rebounds.
 
Siena continues its stretch of five games in just 10 days to close out November – highlighted by a four-game holiday week – when they travel to the nation's capital for the Capital Thanksgiving Classic. The Saints open play against Longwood Friday at 1 p.m. in Washington, DC.