ALBANY, NY – Home sweet home. Siena Basketball returns to the Capital Region for its first home game in 32 days when the Saints host Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference frontrunner Merrimack Friday at 7 p.m. at MVP Arena.
 
Tickets to the Saints first home game of 2026 start as low as $15 (service fees apply if purchasing through Ticketmaster) and can be secured by clicking the corresponding link, in-person at the MVP Arena Box Office, or by contacting Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000. The Siena Fan Relations Management Center is on-hand to handle all ticket-related inquiries, and can be reached by phone at (518) 487-2202 or by e-mail at sienatickets2@siena.edu. For all Siena Basketball ticket-related information, log onto sienasaints.com/tickets.
 
Friday marks the Saints annual Food Drive game benefitting the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. Fans are encouraged to donate five canned goods upon arrival to receive a voucher for five dollars off a ticket to a future home game this season. Representatives will be located in the MVP lobby atrium and on the concourse between sections 104 and 105 to receive donations. Fans can also make monetary donations to support the Regional Food Bank.
 
Siena (10-5, 3-1) makes its long-awaited return to MVP Arena in search of its first 4-1 MAAC start in three years. The Saints begin a busy stretch of six games in 14 days, highlighted by four Capital Region contests.
 
Predicted to finish seventh according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Merrimack (9-7, 5-0) sits atop the early leaderboard, albeit with their five league wins coming against opponents who currently hold a collective 6-18 MAAC mark.
 
The programs met as new MAAC foes last year for the first time in 43 years. Siena and Merrimack squared off 11 times over a 14-season span from 1962-76, including nine straight from 1967-76. Overall, the Saints hold a 7-6 edge in the all-time series following the Warriors 64-58 victory last Jan. 18 in Massachusetts.
 
Kelly O'Donnell, former Saint Conner Fenlon '12, and Joe Lemery have the call of the game on ESPN+, which can be viewed by clicking the corresponding link. The "Voice of the Saints" Emmanuel Berbari and Steve Jones will have the radio call of the game locally in the Capital Region on JAMZ 96.3 FM, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m.
 
Follow the Saints on X (@SienaMBB), Facebook (SienaBasketball), and Instagram (sienambb) for all the latest news, updates, and content. Upload pictures of yourself and your friends enjoying the game through the Selfiefinder platform by clicking the corresponding link at the top of the page, or by downloading the Selfiefinder app and searching "Siena." The best selfies from the game will be displayed on the video scoreboard early in the second half.