LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Women's Basketball looks to build on back-to-back victories when it travels to Jersey City, NJ, on Thursday night for its second meeting of the season with Saint Peter's. Tipoff at Run Baby Run Arena is set for 7 p.m.
Siena is coming off its first overtime victory since Jan. 19, 2023, defeating Canisius 69–65 in extra time on Jan. 31. The game marked the Saints' first overtime contest since Nov. 28, 2023, and their first win this season in a game in which they were outrebounded.
Francesca Schiro continued her standout rookie campaign last week, earning her third straight and sixth overall MAAC Rookie of the Week honor. She leads the league by four awards and is tied for the third-most in a single season in program history. Schiro recorded her eighth and ninth 20-point performances of the season, scoring 23 points against Niagara and 24 against Canisius. In the overtime win over the Golden Griffins, she scored or assisted on 11 of Siena's 15 points in the extra period and sealed the victory with three clutch free throws in the final 18 seconds.
Schiro averaged 23.5 points last week (35th nationally), ranks fourth among freshmen nationally at 17.3 points per game (second in the MAAC), and leads the conference in league play at 19.2 points per game. She also averaged 7.5 assists and 7.0 rebounds over Siena's last two games.
Saint Peter's (6–15, 5–7 MAAC) also enters Thursday on a two-game winning streak after a 55–46 win over Rider on Jan. 24 and a 73–61 victory at Mount St. Mary's on Jan. 31. De'Naya Rippey leads the Peacocks with 13.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and recently posted back-to-back season highs with 25 points against Merrimack and 26 against Rider. Saint Peter's offense ranks 12th in the MAAC at 52.7 points per game, while its defense ranks sixth, allowing 64.2 points per contest.
Thursday's matchup marks the 85th meeting between Siena and Saint Peter's, with the Saints holding a 49–35 edge in the all-time series. Siena has won seven straight in the series, including a 74–47 victory on Jan. 17 at the UHY Center. In that game, the Saints matched a season high by shooting 39.1% from three-point range, led by
Nicole Melious' season-best six triples. Siena also shot a season-high 55.1% from the field and held Saint Peter's to season lows in points (47), shooting percentage (28.1%), and rebounds (28).
Joe Vasile and Ira Thor will call the action on ESPN+, while Joe Puccio and Steve Amedio will handle the radio broadcast on WVCR 88.3 FM. Tickets, live stats, and live updates are available via the corresponding links.
Following Thursday's matchup, Siena returns home to host Manhattan at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
