ALBANY, NY – Following five wins in 10 days to close out November, Siena Basketball provided an encore performance to open December. The Saints led by as many as 38 points and cruised to an 83-54 triumph over Niagara in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener at MVP Arena.
 
Gavin Doty headlined an all-around team effort with a game-high 16 points for Siena (8-2, 1-0), which built upon the program's best start in 27 years. Reigning MAAC Player of the Week Justice Shoats scored 15 points and dished out eight assists for the Saints, which added to their longest winning streak in three years with a sixth straight victory.
 
Reggie Prudhomme was the lone player in double figures for Niagara (2-6, 0-1), which has conversely dropped six in a row. The Purple Eagles shot just 37% from the field including only 4-22 (18%) from three.
 
Predicted to finish second according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Siena looked every bit the part of a contender in their first league contest. The Saints reeled off a 15-point flurry over just 3:03 to race out to a commanding 25-point margin at 36-11 at the 6:13 mark, and rolled to a 46-21 advantage at the half.
 
Doty then wasted no time putting the game on ice in the second half, scoring 13 of his points over the opening 8:38 of the final stanza, highlighted by a trio of threes. Siena, which entered the day ranked last nationally in both threes per game (3.6) and three-point field goal percentage (.248), connected for a season-high 11 triples while shooting 46% from distance.
 
Brendan Coyle scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half and added eight rebounds for the Saints which shot 53% from the field and were +17 on the glass (43-26). Freshman reserve Isaiah Henderson – who had totaled just two points spanning his first 30 collegiate minutes – broke out with 13 points on 4-5 shooting (3-4 from three) to punctuate a second unit which scored a season-high 32 points. Siena entered with the seventh lowest bench scoring (12.6) nationally.
 
The Saints will look to make it a MAAC Opening Weekend sweep when they host Canisius in their final home game of the 2025 calendar year on Sunday at 2 p.m. at MVP Arena.