BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — The University at Albany turned a game that didn’t mean much into a big victory on Saturday afternoon.

The Great Danes picked up their 20th win of the season, besting Fairfield 58-50, in a BracketBusters game at Webster Bank Arena.

UAlbany (20-9) eclipsed its win total of last season, while also cracking the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2006-07 season. It’s only the third time the Great Danes have won 20 or more games at the Division I level, the previous two came in NCAA tournament seasons.

“This group deserves a lot of credit,” said UAlbany coach Will Brown.

The Great Danes got great play from junior John Puk and sophomore Sam Rowley, who combined for 26 points and 11 rebounds.

Puk was especially effective, as he scored five of the first seven points of the second half, as UAlbany extended its lead to double-digits.

“This is probably his best game since (the season-opener against) Duquesne,” Brown said. “He was so active. When he’s active, he’s a different player.”

The Great Danes played their second straight game without redshirt freshman Peter Hooley (concussion), but Gary Johnson played well in his second consecutive start.

The Stags (17-12) played without two starters, freshman Amadou Sidibe and senior Desmond Wade. Derek Needham scored 15 points to lead Fairfield, while Keith Matthews chipped in 11.

UAlbany got just five points from senior guard Mike Black, who also finished with six turnovers. Still, they were able to post a very solid win, one of their best of the year.

“I’m proud of my guys,” Brown said. “I thought we played with great toughness.”

The Great Danes finish with a home game against New Hampshire (Feb. 28) and a road game at Stony Brook (March 3), before they host the conference tournament.

“We want to be feeling good about ourselves when the conference tournament rolls around,” Brown said. “This was a good win for us.”

ALBANY - The ESPNU BracketBusters selections are out.

Siena will host Radford, from the Big South Conference, on Sunday, Feb. 24. The Highlanders are 10-13.

The University at Albany will travel to Fairfield that weekend.The Stags are in Albany tonight to take on Siena. Fairfield is 13-10 this season.

Here is UAlbany coach Will Brown, reacting to his team's 70-61 victory over Rider.


Below is Rider coach Tommy Dempsey and his opening statments to the media.

Siena lost its BracketBusters game, 81-69 at Hofstra on Saturday. Below are highlights and reaction from Coach Mitch Buonaguro, courtesy of the Siena Athetic Department.

ALBANY - It was the Jacob Iati show on Saturday evening.

The senior, academically, scored a career-high 20 points, as the University at Albany earned a 70-61 victory over Rider.

Iati was honored on Senior Night and then went out and knocked down six 3-pointers in the win. 

Mike Black added a game-high 23 points, while Jayson Guerrier, who knocked down four treys, finished with 15 points.

The Great Danes (17-13) have more wins than they did last season, when they finished 16-16 and finish the regular season 10-3 at home. They also picked up their ninth non-conference victory, the most in the program's Division I history.

UAlbany played without Gerardo Suero (ill), Logan Aronhalt (knee), Luke Devlin (knee) and Ralph Watts (hamstring).

The Broncs (11-18) played without second leading scorer Brandon Penn (knee) and were led by Jeff Jones, who finished with 18 points, while Novar Gadson added 11.

The Great Danes finish up America East Conference play, against Binghamton, on Thursday, out in Vestal.

ALBANY - No players, no problem for the University at Albany.

Well, the Great Danes actually have players on the court, but it's certainly not their regular attack.

Gerardo Suero (shingles), Logan Aronhalt (knee), Luke Devlin (knee) and Ralph Watts (hamstring) are all sitting out with injuries.

UAlbany has hit seven 3-pointers and is shooting 7-for-12 (58.3%) from beyond the arc. Mike Black leads the way with 12 points, while Jayson Guerrier added 11 for the Great Danes.

Jacob Iati, who was being honored on Senior Night, here at SEFCU Arena, has hit three 3-pointers and has nine points.

Rider is led by Jeff Jones, who has 10 points, while Anthony Myles has eight. Myles had an icebag on his hand as he walked to the locker room for intermission.

J.S. Carras/The Record

Tonight's regular season home finale for UAlbany will be interesting.

The Great Danes will likely be without three-fifths of their starting lineup because the game doesn't mean as much as the regular season finale or the upcoming conference tournament.

Rider could be without some players as well, as they have had a couple players miss games recently due to sickness.

If both teams were at full strength, this would be a track meet.

As it is, UAlbany will try to slow things down.

Both teams would like finish the regular season strong and the winner will get some momentum, heading into the final week.

UALBANY VS RIDER

Where: SEFCU Arena (4,538), Albany
When: Tonight, 7 p.m.
Radio: WOFX – 980-AM (Rodger Wyland)
Last Meeting: Rider 52, UAlbany 42, at Trenton, N.J. on March 6, 1958 — Rider leads the all-time series 1-0
Records: Rider (11-17) UAlbany (16-13) 

Probable Starters

RIDER

No    Player     Pos.    Yr.    Ht.    Ppg
5    Jonathon Thompson    G    Jr.    6-4    7.1
10    Anthony Myles    G    Sr.    6-5    10.2
13    Daniel Stewart    F    So.    6-7    11.7
23    Novar Gadson    F    Sr.     6-7    10.2
31    Brandon Penn    F    Sr.    6-8     12.5

UALBANY

No    Player    Pos.    Yr.    Ht.    Ppg
1     Jacob Iati    G    Jr     5-10     2.7
10    Mike Black    G    Jr.    6-0    13.0
30    Jayson Guerrier    G/F     Jr.    6-4    5.9
22    Ralph Watts     G/F    So    6-5     2.6
21     Blake Metcalf    F     Jr.     6-9     4.8

Today’s Games

Stony Brook at Northeastern    1 p.m.
Niagara at Vermont     2 p.m.
Marist at Maine     2 p.m.
UMBC at Canisius    2 p.m.
UNC-Wilmington at Manhattan    2 p.m.
Hartford at Saint Peter’s    2 p.m.
Towson at New Hampshire    3 p.m.
Binghamton at Radford    4 p.m.
Fairfield at Milwaukee    4 p.m.
Nevada at Iona (ESPN2)    4 p.m.
Siena at Hofstra    4 p.m.
Rider at UAlbany    7 p.m.

Sunday’s Games

Boston U. at Loyola (Md.)    12 p.m.

J.S. Carras/The Record

Siena travels south today to take on Hofstra in a BracketBusters game.

This game doesn't mean too much in terms of how the Saints or Pride will finish up the year, but both teams are looking for some momentum as the regular season draws to a close.

Here is a link to the BracketBusters advance that was in Saturday's edition of the paper.

SIENA AT HOFSTRA

Where: Mack Sports Complex (5,054), Hempstead
When: Today, 4 p.m.
Radio: TALK 1300 (Robert Lee)
Last Meeting: Hofstra 84, Siena 80, at Times Union Center, Albany, on Nov. 29, 2006 — Hofstra leads the all-time series 3-0 
Records: Siena (12-14) Hofstra (8-20)

Probable Starters
SIENA

No     Player    Pos.    Yr.    Ht.    Ppg
5    Evan Hymes    G    Fr.    5-8    14.3
3     Kyle Downey    G    Sr.    6-2    12.8
31    Owen Wignot     F    Sr.    6-6    6.1
1    OD Anosike    F    Jr.    6-8    14.8
0    Brandon Walters     C    Sr.    6-8    6.4

HOFSTRA

No    Player    Pos.    Yr.    Ht.     Ppg
11    Dwan McMillan    G     Sr.    6-0     5.6
23    Mike Moore     G    Sr.     6-5    19.1
1    Nathaniel Lester    F    Sr.     6-5     14.4
5    David Imes    F     Jr.     6-7    7.0
24    Stephen Nwaukoni    F     So.    6-8    4.3

Today’s Games

Stony Brook at Northeastern    1 p.m.
Niagara at Vermont     2 p.m.
Marist at Maine     2 p.m.
UMBC at Canisius    2 p.m.
UNC-Wilmington at Manhattan    2 p.m.
Hartford at Saint Peter’s    2 p.m.
Towson at New Hampshire    3 p.m.
Binghamton at Radford    4 p.m.
Fairfield at Milwaukee    4 p.m.
Nevada at Iona (ESPN2)    4 p.m.
Siena at Hofstra    4 p.m.
Rider at UAlbany    7 p.m.

Sunday’s Games

Boston U. at Loyola (Md.)    12 p.m.

J.S. Carras/The Record

The University at Albany learned of its ESPN BracketBusters opponent on Monday evening.

The Great Danes will get MAAC foe Rider, which just beat Siena on Sunday, 83-72. The Saints beat the Broncs earlier in the season.

The game is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m., at SEFCU Arena.

“Facing Albany will be a real test for us,” Rider coach Tommy Dempsey told The Trentonian's Kyle Franko. “We look forward to the challenge.”

The Broncs are 6-5 at in fifth place in the MAAC, with a 9-14 record overall. They have played much better recently, as they started the season 1-11. Rider was picked fourth in the MAAC preseason poll.

It should be a good, exciting matchup as both teams can score and are pretty talented. 

Jackie Schear/For The Record

Here is a link to Sunday's game story, won by Rider of Siena, filed by Kyle Franko, a writer at our sister paper, The Trentonian.

Also making news for Siena was the fact that OD Anosike was named MAAC Player of the Week, while Rob Poole was named MAAC Rookie of the Week.

Siena will take on Hofstra, of the Colonial Athletic Association, on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 4 p.m., in an ESPN BracketBusters game.

Siena got dropped on Saturday, 70-53 to No. 18 Butler at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in their ESPNU BracketBusters matchup.

Photos from AP.

LOUDONVILLE - Siena coach Fran McCaffery indicated on Monday that Butler will be coming to Albany next season for a ESPNU BracketBusters return date.

"I think we're going to play it next year, here," McCaffery said at his weekly media luncheon.

The option was given to give schools two years to return this year's BracketBusters game because it makes for either two home or two road games in one season.

For instance, Siena had to travel to Northern Iowa this year to return last year's BracketBuster game and then has to travel to Butler for this year's event.

McCaffery said that there was no solid date set yet for the game.

Siena and Northern Iowa's BracketBuster game will be held in downtown Albany on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN2.

Other MAAC teams and games of note:

Friday, Feb. 20

Illinois State at Niagara, 7 p.m. - ESPN2

Saturday, Feb. 21

#15 Butler at Davidson, noon - ESPN

Buffalo at Vermont, 1 p.m. - ESPN2

Hofstra at Fairfield, 7 p.m. - ESPN360.com