Siena graduate student Anthony Gaines, introduced against Rider on Feb. 4, has played well in his last five games since being held scoreless in a loss at Iona. The Saints and the Gaels meet on February 11 at MVP Arena. (Jim Franco/Times Union Special)
Niagara proved that last Sunday, handing defending champion Gaels and Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino their first league defeat with an 80-71 win at Lewiston last Sunday.
With Iona’s hopes of leading the table now gone, the immediate question is whether Siena can beat the Gaels (19-4 on aggregate, 11-1 MAAC). It certainly didn’t look like it when Iona managed the Saints 74-57 in New Rochelle last month.
But Siena (10-9, 7-4) have won four of five games since that match before the 9 p.m. rematch. Friday at MVP Arena in a match televised on ESPNU.
“Really, for us, (Iona’s loss to Niagara) didn’t change anything,” said Siena graduate goaltender Anthony Gaines. “We always knew they were a beatable team, like any other team. We have just had a few wins, which gives us confidence for the game. We played them. We know them well. . We have an ongoing game plan so we can make some small adjustments, try different approaches, and we’re excited for Friday.
The potential downside of catching the Gaels after a loss is that they had four days to simmer the loss and Pitino had four days to make adjustments for Friday, although Saints coach Carmen Maciariello did not. not seen that way.
“It’s another MAAC game,” Maciariello said. “I don’t care who they played, where they played, when they played. We have to play them on Friday at 9 a.m. and we will be ready.”
The game was scheduled for 7 p.m. until it was “turned” into a national TV slot for a rematch of last year’s MAAC quarter-finals, when the Gaels knocked out the top-ranked Saints en route to the MAAC title.
“It’s easy to get up for these games, but we still try to approach them like any other game,” said Siena senior striker Jackson Stormo. “They’re just another team that we have to go out against and play our best and try to beat.”
Siena will have an unusual amount of rest ahead of Friday’s game. The Saints are coming off a six-game, 13-day streak that ended with a 62-56 victory over Fairfield last Sunday in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
“It’s kind of crazy after the last two weeks, to have a few days to calm down and watch a movie and get my legs under me,” Stormo said. “It’s definitely different, but I’m delighted to have this time to really prepare before Friday.”
In the January meeting, Iona limited Siena to just 37.3% shooting. Gaines went scoreless on just two field goal attempts in 22 minutes. He’s averaged 13.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in the five games since.
“With Iona there’s a little more ball pressure, denial throughout the game,” Gaines said. “I think it’s just trying to get the ball in areas where I can help my teammates better… whatever I can do to help the team succeed.”
Maciariello said he wanted game time to still be at 7 p.m. He added that the Saints would keep their shootout at the same time and the players would eat their pre-game meal at 5:30 p.m. instead of 3:30 p.m., giving players two more hours to nap before eating.
“For me, it just extends my day, because it’s the worst time, waiting for the game to start,” Maciariello said.
A spokesperson for Siena Athletics said the school hopes to attract more than 6,000 people for Friday’s late start. It’s the “Gold Rush” game, which means the first 2,000 fans will get a free gold t-shirt.
“We have a point to prove, obviously,” Stormo said. “We don’t like losing to anyone, especially the best team in our conference, and they come to us. Hopefully we’ll have a packed MVP Arena, so we’re just excited, as we always will be. “
The Gaels are led by graduate transfer guards Tyson Jolly (14.6 ppg) and Elijah Joiner (11.8 ppg) and sophomore forward Nelly Junior Joseph (13.6 ppg).
Mark Singelais covers Siena basketball, UAlbany lacrosse, horse racing and other sports. Contact him at 518-454-5509 or [email protected]
