Jan. 19, 2004

Box Score

Tommy Mitchell answered a Steve Burtt three with one of his own at the three-minute mark to give Siena a lead they would not relinquish in a 74-71 victory over visiting Iona Monday night. The win was the third consecutive MAAC victory for the resurgent Saints which had lost 10 straight after beginning the season with three wins.

The teams battled to a 30-30 tie in a fractured first half with 21 turnovers and 43 missed shots. Both teams received quality contributions off the bench, as Iona's Anthony Bruin led all players with 10 points as the teams headed to the lockerroom and Siena's (6-10/3-4 MAAC) Tommy Mitchell converted four-of his-five field goal attempts to pace the Saints with eight points at the break.

Justin Miller scored the first six points of the second half, two of which came on a one-handed jam off a pick-and roll, forcing an early Iona (5-11/3-4 MAAC) timeout.

DeShawn William's three-pointer with 14:35 left capped off a 6-0 run and gave the Gaels the lead back at 42-41. The run followed a flurry of Saints' fouls, three of which sent key Siena players to the bench in the early goings of the decisive stanza.

Siena responded with the game's next seven points and Antoine Jordan's second three of the spurt forced another Iona timeout with the score 48-42 and 12:55 remaining. Jordan finished with a game-high 21 points.

The Gaels erased that six-point deficit, and after Siena built another six-point cushion on an old-fashioned three-point play by Miller at the 5:57 mark to take a 59-53 lead, they scored nine of the next 11 points, taking the lead 52-51 on a Steve Burtt three pointer with 3:23 left.

Burtt scored 12 of his team-high 17 points after the break.

Mitchell's crucial three sparked an assertive Siena finish. The Saints struggled from the free throw line all night, but got the right people to the line when it mattered to seal the outcome. Jordan made four straight from the stripe in the final minute to keep it a two possession game.

The game was the third contest in a MAAC tripleheader. Earlier in the day the Siena women defeated Marist 65-55 and the Saint Peter's men topped Marist 70-64.

Siena travels to Western New York this weekend to take on Niagara (Friday night) and Canisius (Sunday afternoon).