Mike McMahon - The Record

LOUDONVILLE - Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro wants to get off to a quick start this season.

The last two years, the Saints haven't gotten off to the best start.

Last year, Siena started 2-0, but promptly lost seven of their next eight. In 2010-11, Buonaguro's first season, the Saints started 2-6.

Buonaguro has decided to decrease practice time from 2 1/2 hours to just two hours, with the thought that this will keep his team fresher and healthier.

“I want to get off to a good start. I think that’s important with a young team, to get some confidence.”

While practice will be a tad shorter, Buonaguro said he will be more demanding of the team during practice time.

“We have to practice well, especially with a young team," he said.

That should mean practice will be competitive, especially with guys fighting for playing time.

“It’s going to be a phenomenal atmosphere," said senior forward O.D. Anosike. "We’re going to have guys going as hard as they possibly can to get minutes and see playing time.”

Buonaguro said he would like to use the bench a lot more this season, a luxury he had to work without last season when the team played primarily six guys.

“If you can be fresh, use eight, nine guys, it probably makes you a way better team in February," Buonaguro said.

Mike McMahon - The Record

Iona's Scott Machado and Marist's Corielle Yarde have been named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's men's and women's Players of the Year, respectively.

Machado's victory ends a three-year Siena run. Kenny Hasbrouck, Alex Franklin and Ryan Rossiter were the last three award winners.

Siena's OD Anosike and Lily Grenci were candidates for the awards, after being named All-MAAC first team on Monday.

Loyola (Md).'s Jimmy Patsos and Marist's Brian Giorgis were named the men's and women's Coach of the Year respectively.

Niagara's Juan'ya Green was named the MAAC Rookie of the Year, an award that Siena's Evan Hymes was in the running for.

In my mind, Hymes was more valuable, but Green's offensive numbers were better. 

OD Anosike and Lily Grenci both earned 1st team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference honors, on Monday.

Anosike and Grenci are both in the running for the Player of the Year awards, which will be announced on Thursday evening.

Evan Hymes was named to the All-Rookie team, and he is a candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Cristina Centeno was named to the All-MAAC third team, on the women's side. 


FIRST TEAM ALL-MAAC
Rakim Sanders, Fairfield R-Sr.
Mike Glover, Iona Sr.
Scott Machado, Iona Sr.
Erik Etherly, Loyola Jr.
George Beamon, Manhattan, Jr. 
OD Anosike, Siena Jr.

SECOND TEAM ALL-MAAC 
Harold Washington, Canisius Jr.
Derek Needham, Fairfield Jr. 
Lamont Jones, Iona Jr.
Dylon Cormier, Loyola So.
Brandon Penn, Rider Sr.

THIRD TEAM ALL-MAAC
Justin Drummond, Loyola So.
Robert Olson, Loyola Jr.
Michael Alvarado, Manhattan So.
Devon Price, Marist Jr.
Juan'ya Green, Niagara Fr.
Darius Conley, Saint Peter's Jr.

ALL-ROOKIE
Juan'ya Green, Niagara
Antoine Mason, Niagara
Evan Hymes, Siena
Chavaughn Lewis, Marist
Emmy Andujar, Manhattan

ALBANY - Nothing has come easy for the Siena men's basketball team this season.

The Saints took advantage of everything that was free in Tuesday's 70-64 victory over Manhattan.

Siena shot 25-for-30 (83.3%) from the free throw line and 22-for-24 (91.7%) in the second half, as they held on for the win.

Rob Poole made 10 free throws (10-13) and OD Anosike knocked down eight (8-9) on the night.

"Coach has been harping on it all year," Anosike said. "Sometimes when you struggle from the outside, you have to find ways to manufacture points, whether it be offensive rebounds or free throws."

Anosike is just a 55 percent (81-146) shooter from the stripe, but he has been much better lately.

In the last four games, Anosike is 20-for-25 (80%) from the free throw line. 

In Tuesday's game, it seemed like Anosike was using his legs more and springing backwards as he released the ball.

"Maybe the arc is the key," he said. "I think I was shooting the ball higher today, getting it over the front rim."

Anosike also says that he's been shooting the ball better as he has maintained confidence in his shot.

"I'm just trying to stay confident," he said. "I seem to shoot it better when I have more confidence."

Anosike knows that it will continue to be important that Siena knock down the free throws on a consistent basis. 

"It's just really important that we step up and knock down free throws because we're going to need the points, especially down the stretch," he said.

J.S. Carras/The Record

ALBANY – The Siena men's basketball team has been anything but super on the road this season.

The Saints have lost their last four games away from the homecourt and are winless in all five league games, outside the city of Albany.

Yet, after dropping a tough 63-58 game to Saint Peter's on Friday, Siena starts a three-game road trip this afternoon, when they take on Fairfield, at 3:30 p.m.

The game can be seen on SNY in the Capital District, for fans who want an appetizer, before Super Bowl XLVI, between the New York Giants and New England Patriots.

The Stags (7-4, 12-10) are coming off of an eight-point victory over Niagara, where junior guard Derek Needham scored a career-high 32 points. Fairfield, which was the No. 2 pick in the preseaon poll, has been inconsistent this season, but the Stags seem to have righted the ship, winning four of their past five games.

The Saints (5-7, 10-12) won the first meeting, 73-60, in Albany, but they know this game will be much more difficult.

“Fairfield's a team that's very good,” said junior forward OD Anosike. “They're definitely in the upper echelon of the league. We got them here, when we played them at home, but it's going to be a much different atmosphere.”

In Friday's loss, Siena really struggled offensively, down the stretch, scoring just 12 points in the game's final 11 minutes and finishing the game 3-for-14 from the field.

“We did take some questionable shots,” said freshman Evan Hymes. “We probably should have got the ball into OD.”

Anosike had his streak of 17 straight double-doubles snapped, finishing with just nine points, his lowest total since Nov. 21, when he scored just four points, against St. Bonaventure.

The Saints are 2-8 away from Albany this season and they must bounce back from a tough home loss to have a solid performance tonight.

“We have a tough game,” said Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro. “We have to move on.”

The players think it could be beneficial to have such a quick turnaround from Friday's disappointment.

“I think it's going to be good to get it out of our system and forget about it,” said senior guard Kyle Downey.

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 Athletics

ALBANY - There have been a few constants this season for Siena.

When the Saints play well, it's likely that senior Brandon Walters is doing the same.

Walters had a career night on Thursday, posting 14 points and 12 rebounds in the 83-79 victory over Rider.

Siena jumped all over Rider early and led by as many as 21 points in the first half.

“We just came out and played harder," Walters said. "Our team chemistry has been very good and we're just trying to build on that.”

Walters has averaged 7.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in Siena's eight victories. He has also posted his only three career double-doubles (Rider, UAlbany. Mount St. Mary's) in wins. 

In the Saints eight losses, Walters is averaging just 4.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. 

“I've had an up and down season," he said. "But the coaching staff still has confidence in me.”

Walters bounced back from one of his worst games of the year, in the victory over Niagara, where he scored zero points and grabbed just two rebounds. 

“OD (Anosike) played a pheonmenal game," Walters said of his frontcourt mate. "So it took a lot of pressure off me.”

 

Walters and OD Anosike really give Siena a nice 1-2 punch down low, especially for a mid-major school.

Walters scored four of the Saints' final 11 points, running a fast break and putting back a miss and then calmly knocking down two free throws in the final moments, to help seal the victory.

Thursday's victory also got Siena back to .500 in both the MAAC (3-3) and overall (8-8). 

“We've been trying to get to .500," Walters said. "And we did it tonight.”

Siena suddenly finds itself right in the middle of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings.

Six of the MAAC's 10 teams are either 3-2 or 2-3, after five league games and two of those teams meet tonight in downtown Albany.

It's a critical game, as both the Broncs and the Saints have been playing much better of late and one team will continue that with a win.

Here is a link to the game advance that appears in Thursday's print edition.

Below, junior forward OD Anosike talks about the game, before Wednesday's practice at the ARC.

ALBANY - Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro knew his team could ill afford another injury.

Bad news came on Wednesday, when the school announced that sophomore point guard Rakeem Brookins will miss the entire season because of a back injury.

Brookins has a bulging disc and a herniated disc in his back and will take a medical redshirt for the 2011-12 season.

"I feel bad for him," Buonaguro said, before Wednesday's practice. "Rahk is a warrior. He had a really good freshman year and was our leader in the backcourt."

Brookins will spend the semester back in Philadelphia, recovering and rehabbing.

Brookins averaged 9.0 points and 4.3 assists per game last season.

"He's very dissapointed that he can't be out on the floor with us," said senior Kyle Downey.

Buonaguro indicated that freshman Evan Hymes will start at point guard, next week against Navy.

Hymes will play alongside seniors Downey, Owen Wignot and Brandon Walters and junior OD Anosike.