ALBANY - With Cory Magee out and Josh Duell still trying to return to last season's form, senior Erik Harris was called on to make some key contributions for Siena against UAlbany.

After intermission sophomore Ryan Rossiter didn't return to the floor and so Harris knew he'd have to step up.

"They told us he couldn't see, so he's not going to play," Harris said. "If something goes wrong with Rossiter then I need to be ready."

Rossiter apparently took a shot to the face and didn't play at all in the second half.

No worry. Harris filled in with 13 minutes of playing time, scoring four points and blocking a shot.

"I’m really proud of him," Siena coach Fran McCaffery said. "He was a part of my first recruiting class. He was a big gangly 180 pounds and just worked himself into a player because he has phenomenal character."

Harris got some coaching from Rossiter during timeouts, once Rossiter finally returned to the bench.

"He knows that my tendency is to go for shot block," Harris said. "He told me to stay on me feet and make them score over me and that really helped because they had some trouble scoring over me."

Harris knows his role, but he was able to get some easy lay-ins when the UAlbany defense left him alone.

"Once I'm out there I know my role is to screen for the guys who can score, attack the glass and play sold defense," Harris said.

With the Saints light up front, it was a great time for Harris to step in.

"Okay big fella you have to do it," McCaffery said. "This is your chance and what an opportune time for him to have this type of game."

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Note to Siena junior point guard Ronald Moore, if you don't like your position, UAlbany coach Will Brown would love it.

"Ronald Moore had the greatest job in the world," said Brown following the game. "He gets to pass the ball to those three guys."

Brown was referring to Kenny Hasbrouck, Edwin Ubiles and Alex Franklin, but it was Moore whose 17 points really hurt Brown's Great Danes Saturday night.

"We were going to give up shots to Ronald Moore and he stepped up and knocked them down tonight and that’s credit to them," Brown said.

Ubiles scored a game-high 23 points and drew all sorts of praise from Brown after his defense allowed him to score some easy hoops.

"How do you not guard Edwin Ubiles," Brown said. "The guy is the most talented player in the MAAC and I asked my guys and I didn’t get the answer I was hoping to hear."