LOUDONVILLE, NY – In partnership with Albany Med Health System, Siena will host its 25th annual Pink Zone game, presented by KeyBank, on Thursday, Jan. 29, when the Saints welcome Niagara for a 6 p.m. tipoff at the UHY Center. Proceeds from this year's Pink Zone game will benefit Real Kids Wear Pink.
Tickets for the 25th annual Pink Zone game can be secured by clicking on the corresponding link. Kelly O'Donnell and Brian Rubino will have the call on ESPN+, with Steve Jones providing sideline reporting. Joe Puccio and Steve Amedio will handle the local broadcast on WVCR 88.3 FM. Live stats and courtside X updates will also be available via the corresponding links.
Since its inception, the Pink Zone initiative has raised more than $200,000 in support of local Capital Region breast cancer survivors. Breast cancer survivors and thrivers will be recognized prior to tipoff, continuing a longtime Siena Women's Basketball tradition. Donations will be collected throughout the game, with Pink T-shirts available for $20 (cash or Venmo), along with a 50/50 raffle and additional raffle prizes, all supporting the cause.
Siena will look to replicate its success against Niagara from earlier this season, when the Saints earned a statement 107-69 victory on the road on Dec. 19. Siena made program history in that game by recording a single-game program record 29 steals, while the 107 points marked the program's first triple-digit performance since 2001.
Additionally,
Francesca Schiro recorded the first 30-point game of her career with 32 points against the Purple Eagles. That total remains the second-highest scoring output by a MAAC player this season, and Schiro is one of just five players in the league to eclipse the 30-point mark this year. Now a five-time MAAC Rookie of the Week after earning the honor again on Jan. 26, Schiro ranks fourth nationally among freshmen and 85th overall in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game — a figure that also ranks third in the league.
The Purple Eagles come to Loudonville in search of their first win of the season, holding an 0-19 overall record and an 0-10 mark in MAAC play. Niagara has been competitive in recent outings, including a five-point loss to Sacred Heart on Jan. 24. Talia Dial leads the Purple Eagles, averaging 12.9 points per game, while no other player averages eight or more. Niagara enters the contest as the nation's most turnover-prone team, committing 25.0 turnovers per game.
Siena's win earlier this season extended its lead in the all-time series to 55-38 entering the 94th meeting between the programs. The Saints will look to extend their current three-game winning streak over Niagara, as well as a three-game home winning streak in the series that dates back to Feb. 11, 2023. Notably, Siena's 107 points in the last meeting marked the first time either team scored 90 or more in the series since the Saints did so in the MAAC Tournament on March 8, 2003 (91).
The Saints will remain home following the Niagara matchup, hosting Canisius at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the UHY Center.
