LOUDONVILLE - After another frustrating loss against Saint Peter's on Wednesday, Siena's three seniors and assistant coach Craig Carter addressed the team in the locker room.

On Friday, coach Mitch Buonaguro said he hopes that will spark a resurgence in his team, which has lost a season-high four straight games.

“They guys respect the three seniors and they’re three great kids,” Buonaguro said of Ryan Rossiter, Clarence Jackson and Steven Priestley. “I think they expressed what they thought we had to do the rest of the year to be successful.”

With only three regular season games remaining in their careers, the senior are starting to feel a sense of urgency to start winning and keep the season going as long as possible.

“These are three guys that have played on three NCAA teams,” Buonaguro said. “They don’t want it to end. I think they’re realizing that we have to pick it up, get these wins and get a decent seed in the tournament.”

Senior point guard Ronald Moore will sit out this evening's first practice, still bothered by an eye injury.

Moore's right eye was poked earlier in the week and he said he should be ready to go by Monday.

"They want me to take it easy," said Moore at the team's media day on Friday. "I feel as though I'm ready to come back, but there's nothing wrong with missing a few days before I get back out there."

Some other notes from Media Day

• In his introduction of the team, Siena coach Fran McCaffery said this is the most talented team in Siena history. I think the word he used was "clearly." I'm not the man to argue but those are strong words for a program that has just won a game in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.
• McCaffery did add that losing Kenny Hasbrouck, the team's best player and best defensive player isn't good, even if the this team has more overall talent.
• McCaffery said the team will embrace its honor to be ranked in the Top 25 in some publications, something his players agreed with. "We don't want to shy away from it, we're proud of it and we're going to work as hard as possible to stay ranked," Moore said.
• McCaffery had high words for sophomore Kyle Downey, saying that he could be someone first off the bench to replace guards. "He's a shot maker. He's in great shape. He trimmed down and I think feels really good about his game now and I think he's ready to take that next step."
• McCaffery also said that Steven Priestley and O.D. Anosike have to play to give Alex Franklin and Ryan Rossiter a spell in the frontcourt. Once Davis Martens becomes available after 12 games, that will give the team more frontcourt depth.

It was a big Sunday in the MAAC and a big Sunday as well for the University at Albany. 

Currently I'm watching the Marist/Niagara game (you have to love DVR) to see how the Red Foxes, Siena's opponent Thursday night, handed the Purple Eagles their first league loss. 

Right now, it seems as Marist did their damage from downtown. 

In a day where all 10 MAAC teams played, four of the games were decided by a combined 10 points and then there was this game that I'm watching

It doesn't even seem as if the game was as close as the 18-point margin of victory suggests. It was 40-19 and the Red Foxes continue to poor it on.  

There were also what I would call two upsets, Marist winning and Saint Peter's sending Jimmy Patsos' Loyola team to 1-5 in the conference. 

Then you have Rider and Fairfield just barely winning games at home 

The Saints are off to what ties their best conference start in school history, 6-0, after fending off Manhattan 68-64. 

Siena continues to get big efforts from players who aren't usually called on to step. Erik Harris' five points in 14 minutes comes to mind kind of like Steven Priestley's effort against Saint Peter's and Clarence Jackson's against Saint Joseph's. 

Meanwhile, UAlbany won for the third time ever at Patrick Gymnasium, and three in a row since the 2007 America East championship game. 

Will Harris has been on a tear since the conference schedule has began. 

The junior transfer from Virginia is averaging 17 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in the Great Danes' three America East games. 

Anthony Raffa continues to impress - he led UAlbany with 22 points and the Great Danes held Marqus Blakely to just 11 points. 

Overall, it was a big day for Siena, who's in first by their lonesome and UAlbany who will play in a first place showdown against Binghamton on Wednesday at SEFCU Arena. 

ALBANY - Siena sophomore Steven Priestley had an idea that he could be in the starting lineup when the Saints took on Saint Peter's on Sunday.

The 6-foot-5 Baldwin, N.Y. native had practiced with the green team for the past couple of days because of the sicknesses of sophomore Ryan Rossiter and senior Josh Duell.

"I had some jitters this (Sunday) morning, but I just know to stay calm, play to my strengths and away from weaknesses and I'll be fine," Priestley said.

Priestley then heard his name announced in the starting five for the first time in his Siena career.
"It's the greatest feeling," Priestley said. "Nothing's going to compare to that feeling."

Priestley followed that up by scoring the first basket, a put-back off of an Edwin Ubiles miss.

"I just tried to go out there and play because when you think about it too much then you start messing up and then you're thinking about making mistakes," Priestley said.

Priestley finished with four points, eight rebounds and one block.

"He's been getting closer," Siena coach Fran McCaffery said. "It's a longer process for certain players when they come in to where they can contribute like that. He just has stayed after it."

"Steve's been playing against four of the best players in our league for two years now," Duell said. "Every day in practice he plays hard, he comes with intensity and energy and I can't say enough about his performance (today)."

Although Duell suited up, he didn't look very comfortable on the bench and McCaffery said his senior co-captain was hooked up to an intravenous before the game so he could play if needed.

"I think if I needed to, I could have mustered some strength to get out there," said Duell following the game.

Duell and Rossiter, who didn't even make it to the bench, are both fighting through a stomach bug, which has gone around almost every player on the team.

"I had it at Holy Cross," junior Alex Franklin said. "I didn't get it as bad as they (Rossiter and Duell) got it, I had the mini-bug. It's hard to deal to with, I played through it, but I'm glad it's out of my system now."

McCaffery said the only four players who haven't gotten it are Kenny Hasbrouck, Kyle Downey, Ronald Moore and Ubiles.

"I try not to think about it," said Ubiles, when asked if he thought he could be next. "Cory (Magee) asked me about that today. I just try to stay healthy, keep lots of fluids in me and hopefully I don't catch it."

McCaffery said he thought that both Rossiter and Duell should be able to play at Kansas, but it was too early to tell for sure.

Meanwhile, the Saints continue to show that they are pretty deep despite having a very talented starting five.

"That just shows how deep we are and the tremendous athletes and talent on this team," Priestley said.

While he was a little anxious, Priestley just wanted to make sure he was ready going into the game.

"One thing I wanted to do was not go in the game with jitters," Priestley said. "I tried to relax myself before the game, just make sure I was relaxed and calm, so I could remember what coach told me and stick to the gameplan."

His teammates were also plenty happy for him.

"Steve did a great job today," Duell said. "He's really ready for this opportunity and he played great. He did what he had to do."

Priestley was happy with how he played and is just hoping to continue to do whatever is needed of him.

"I just want to go back and get another one," said Priestley of Sunday's win. "Whatever I can do for us as a team to help us get us back to where we were last year and produce more is what I want to do."