J.S. Carras/The Record

The Siena women's basketball team held its media day event on Monday afternoon at the ARC.

Second-year coach Ali Jaques (left) is optimistic that the team can have a good season, despite losing leading scorer Lily Grenci to graduation.

The Saints are picked seventh in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference preseason poll, but do have some intriguing pieces. If they come together, they may be able to finish near the top.

Marist has won eight straight tournament titles and newcomer Quinnipiac finished 30-3 last season and went to the NCAA tournament.

ALBANY – Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference basketball is coming back to Albany.

On Tuesday, the MAAC Council of Presidents voted unanimously to return the league’s men’s and women’s postseason tournaments to the Times Union Center in 2015, for a three-year stay.

“We’re going to flourish as a school, as the league flourishes,” said Siena President Fr. Kevin Mullen, who was delighted with the decision to return to the Capital District.

Since the tournament departed Albany in 2011, the attendance figures have suffered significantly. In 2010, a record crowd of 53,569 crowd watched Siena capture its third consecutive tournament title. In the three years following, the total crowd has been just 55,261. Last year, at the MassMutual Center, in Springfield, Mass., the tournament drew just 14,394 fans, the lowest number in three decades.

“The bigger question is – do MAAC fans travel?,” said MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. “They travel to here, as well as anywhere.”

The tournament will still be held in Springfield, as planned, in 2014, but then will be held at Times Union Center from 2015-17.

“It’s huge,” said Times Union Center General Manager Bob Belber. It’s enormous.”

Albany was one of two finalists, along with Bridgeport, Conn., which hosted in 2011. The other two proposals came from Springfield and the Izod Center, in the Meadowlands.

The arena has guaranteed $250,000 per year to the MAAC, a number much smaller than the millions the tournament has produced for the city in previous years.

The city of Albany has hosted 15 of the past 24 tournaments, dating back to 1990. Siena has won the tournament four times when it has been played on its home floor. Even when Siena wasn’t strong, the tournament has still produced sufficient attendance totals.

“The Capital Region fans have proven they will come out and watch college basketball,” said Siena Athletics Director John D’Argenio.  

The biggest reason the league decided to leave in Albany was the idea of playing on a neutral court, but as the league found out, that came at the cost of having more fans in the building.

“It hasn’t worked particularly well,” said Ensor.  

Only three times has the overall attendance of the league tournament topped 50,000, and all three of those came in Albany (2010, 2009, 2000).

“There is something special about this city and it didn’t take me long to realize that,” said Siena women’s basketball coach Ali Jaques.

J.S. Carras/The Record

LOUDONVILLE — When Ali Jaques was hired as the new women’s basketball coach in April, it was made quite clear how important the Pink Zone game is to the program and the community.
Jaques, whose father, Steve, has battled cancer, knew it was something that she cared passionately about as well.

“Everybody’s been touched by cancer at some point in their life, whether it’s a loved one or a friend,” she said. “Anything we can do to promote research and promote raising money is really important.”

Siena and Capital Region Action Against Breast Cancer (CRAAB!) have been partnering for 13 years, bringing awareness and raising money to fight cancer. Last year, the Saints raised $25,853 in there game and tonight, when they take on Rider, at 7 p.m., they are shooting to raise $30,000.

“Our players love this game,” Jaques said. “It’s become a fantastic tradition on the campus and in this community and I’m just lucky to be a part of it.”

Jaques also had the chance to coach against the late Kay Yow, who coached N.C. State to more than 700 victories and passed away from cancer in 2009.

“It’s special,” Jaques said. “It’s like Coach (Jim) Valvano is for the men and Coaches vs. Cancer.”
The game is also important, as the Saints (5-7, 9-14) and Broncs (6-6, 11-12) are both right in a logjam in the middle of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings. Jaques, a native of Rosemont, N.J., got her coaching start, at Rider as an assistant (1998-99).

Like in past years, the Saints will wear pink jerseys and encourage fans to wear pink to the game. Siena will hold a special survivors recognition honoring local breast cancer survivors on the court, recognizing their courageous battles against the disease. CRAAB! will also have tables and displays set up with vital information on the fight against breast cancer.

“In our community, it’s extremely well supported and I think that’s a great indication of the community of Albany and Siena itself and how this community can rally and care about something more than just a basketball game,” she said.

For more information, visit SienaSaints.com/PinkZone.

We are off and running for the college basketball season.

Below are links from stories that appeared in Saturday's paper. 

Free-throw shooting dooms Siena

Siena's first-year coach Ali Jaques wins debut

Troy High's Javion Ogunyemi says the winner is...Siena

UAlbany makes clutch plays down the stretch to win opener

Saint Rose coach Brian Beaury vows Knights will be better

Below senior O.D. Anosike talks about the team's 1-point loss to Vermont.



Below women's coach Ali Jaques and senior Lily Grenci talk about their 76-56 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson.

ALBANY – Ali Jaques was almost speechless following her first victory as Siena women's basketball head coach.

“It's been a little bit of an emotional week,” she said, following the team's 76-56 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson. “So it's nice to have this one over with and get out with the win.”
 

The Saints (1-0), who only surpassed 70 points five times last season, did so with ease, getting a game-high 19 points from senior Lily Grenci.

“It feels great to get one under the belt,” said Grenci, who also grabbed 12 rebounds.

Clara Sole Anglada added 14 points, while Kate Zarotney finished with 10 points.

“I'm really, really proud of our team tonight,” said Jaques.

Siena was picked seventh in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference preseason poll, which was released Friday evening.

“I don't care where they pick us,” Jaques said. “It just matters where we finish.”

The Saints extended to their largest lead, when Ciara Stewart made two free throws in the final minute, to give the team its final margin of victory.

The Siena women's basketball team is already off and practicing. New coach Ali Jaques has already run 10 practices and she's hoping for a solid season. 

Here is a link to the story that ran in Tuesday's paper.

Below is a picture of Ciara Stewart, Tehresa Coles, and Allison Mullings.

Mike McMahon - The Record

Siena holds a press conference on Thursday to introduce new women's basketball coach Ali Jaques.

LOUDONVILLE — The Siena women’s basketball program will begin a new era this afternoon.

Just five weeks after longtime coach Gina Castelli and the school parted ways, Siena is set to announce the hiring of Ali Jaques as the eighth women’s coach in program history, this afternoon.

Jaques leaves Northwestern, where she was the associate head coach. The New Jersey native has also made coaching stops at Rider, Sacred Heart, Furman, Dayton and George Washington.

At Dayton, she assisted under former Siena coach Jim Jabir (1987-90), who was the coach that preceded Castelli in Loudonville.

Jaques played Division III basketball at New York University and was part of the 1997 national championship team.

Castelli had just finished her 22nd season at the helm, leading the Saints to a 12-17 record, but making it to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference semifinals, before losing to Fairfield. On March 8, it was announced that the school and Castelli had agreed to move in a new direction. 

Castelli finished her career with a 336-296 record, won one MAAC tournament title (2001) and was named MAAC coach of the year five times.

Athletic Director John D’Argenio will meet with the media today to discuss the hiring of Jaques.