LOUDONVILLE - It sounds simple, but winning makes everything a little bit easier.

The Siena men's basketball team has been close -- but frankly close doesn't cut it.

The Saints (0-4, 2-13) haven't won since Nov. 17, nearly a week before Thanksgiving.

“We need a win," sophomore Evan Hymes said on Thursday. "Everybody knows that. We just have to keep competing every night.”

J.S. Carras - The Record

Siena is 2-7 in games decided by six or less points and they've lost four home games by a combined 12 points. Certainly that's about late-game execution, or lack thereof, but also some bad luck.

“It can be youth, it can be experience, you can point to a lot of things," said Saints coach Mitch Buonaguro. "But certainly we have to get a couple wins here for the team’s confidence level.”

And that's all it'll take -- one win, to get this team back thinking, no believing, that they can win.

In fact, despite an epic losing streak, the program's second longest, the players believe they still can turn things around.

“If we can get two here, at home, we’ll be right back in the mix of things," said senior O.D. Anosike. "We just have to focus on Canisius and really try to get a win.”

The Golden Griffins (3-1, 10-5) are currently in a four-way tie for first in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings, but they haven't finished in the top half of the league's standings since the 1998-99 season.

“The kids have bought in,” said first-year coach Jim Baron. “I think the area has bought in and winning helps. You have to win some games to get them to gel.”

The Saints have taken positive steps, but many times those have been quickly followed by those in the wrong direction.

“All of those good flashes give me confidence that we’re moving in the right direction," Anosike said. "It’s just a matter of putting it together consistently and doing it for 40 minutes.”