FAIRFIELD, CT – Brendan Coyle and Gavin Doty poured in 22 points apiece, and made huge plays late, as shorthanded Siena Basketball bounced back from excruciating back-to-back losses to secure a pivotal regular season series sweep of Sacred Heart with an 80-73 triumph at the William H. Pitt Center.
 
Coyle, who entered the day ranked 60^th nationally in made threes per game, recorded his fifth contest with five or more threes this season for Siena (12-14, 7-8), which has now tripled its win total from all of last season. More importantly, the shorthanded Saints – who were down to just eight scholarship players and played essentially six on Sunday – responded from back-to-back heartbreaking losses on a buzzer-beater and by one point, respectively.
 
Meanwhile, Doty scored a career-high 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to post his fourth double-double for Siena, which salvaged a much needed fifth straight weekend split. Doty recorded seven of his rebounds off the offensive glass for the Saints, who generated 18 second chance opportunities overall leading to 23 points.
 
Nyle Ralph-Beyer scored a game-high 24 points off the bench for Sacred Heart (11-14, 7-7), which suffered a home weekend sweep after having entered the week on a five-game win streak overall. Anquan Hill added 22 points for the Pioneers which shot just 4-24 from three. Sacred Heart opened the day ranked 29^th nationally in made threes (9.9), while also leading the MAAC shooting at a 37% clip from distance.
 
Siena led for more than 35 minutes in the first meeting in Connecticut between the new MAAC rivals since the Ford Administration. A quick 12-4 spurt in the opening minutes gave the Saints a lead they would not relinquish. Siena led by as many as nine in the first half while taking a 40-33 lead at the break.
 
The Saints led by no more than two possessions in the first 10 minutes of the second half outside of the opening possession, but reeled off 11 unanswered over 3:45 midway through the stanza to open their biggest lead of the afternoon at 15 at 68-53 with 6:43 to go.
 
However, the MAAC's top scoring team wouldn't go down easily. The Pioneers put together a 16-2 rally over 4:53 to get all the way back within a point on a Ralph-Beyer put-back slam to make it 70-69 with 1:36 remaining.
 
But Siena, which had suffered five straight road losses – the last four of which were by just one or two possessions – was not about to let history repeat itself.
 
Coyle stopped the bleeding with a clutch right wing three to push the lead back to four on the next possession. After Sacred Heart responded, Doty delivered the definitive three-point play to push the lead back to five at 76-71 with 35.9 ticks to go. Fittingly enough, Coyle came away with the loose ball on the ensuing possession and led Doty ahead of the pack who dunked home the exclamation point.
 
Justice Shoats contributed 16 points and eight assists for the Saints who recorded their most potent offensive performance in MAAC road action this season. Siena, which entered play averaging just 62.7 points in eight league road games, eclipsed the 70-point plateau for the first time.

Amiri Stewart and reserve Bryce Johnson rounded out the double figure scorers for the Pioneers with 14 and 11 points, respectively. However, the Saints neutralized leading scorer Tanner Thomas (15.6), who scored 30 points in the first meeting, to just two points on 1-8 shooting.
 
Siena returns to the Capital Region to round out its February slate with a Western New York weekend against Niagara and Canisius at MVP Arena. First up is the Purple Eagles Friday at 7 p.m.
 
This postgame 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.