ALBANY, NY – Siena Basketball squandered a 17-point second half lead, but made enough plays late to fend off Fairfield 68-64 on Senior Night at MVP Arena. With the victory, the Saints clinched a berth in next week's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
 
Justice Shoats scored a game-high 23 points and dished out five assists for Siena (14-16, 9-10), which tasted the program's first March victory in four years. The Saints entered the night having dropped 14 straight in the month, dating back to a 73-66 win over Canisius on Mar. 4, 2021.
 
Prophet Johnson and Braden Sparks recorded 20 points apiece for Fairfield (11-19, 7-12), which remains firmly on the MAAC Tournament bubble. The Stags will head into the finale against MAAC Regular Season Champion Quinnipiac Saturday holding down the 10^th and final spot, a game clear of both Niagara and Saint Peter's.
 
Siena broke a 24-all tie with eight straight down the stretch of the first half, ultimately claiming a 32-28 lead at the break.
 
The Saints came out determined to start the final stanza, opening on a 17-4 spurt over the first 5:16 to take as much as a 17-point lead at 49-32 with 14:44 to go.
 
But Fairfield, which shot 60% in the second half, wouldn't go quietly. The Stags responded with a 21-4 run of their own spanning 8:06 to rally all the way back even at 53-all with 5:28 to play.
 
In a seesaw second half, Siena answered with what proved to be a decisive 10-2 flurry to reclaim a 63-55 advantage with 1:56 left. Fairfield made a final charge with three straight three-point plays to get it to one at 65-64 with 17 ticks to go, but Gavin Doty made three free throws to seal the Saints spot in Atlantic City.
 
Doty narrowly missed another double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds for Siena which was +14 on the glass (37-23). Brendan Coyle added all 12 of his points in the second half for the Saints, which won for the first time in 10 tries this season in MAAC contests decided by one or two possessions.
 
Siena will head into its regular season finale at Manhattan Saturday at 2 p.m. knowing it will be playing postseason basketball next week, but with still a lot to play for. Still currently eighth in the MAAC Standings, the Saints can finish as high as seventh or as low as ninth.
 
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.