Written By: Edwards Kemedjio
On Friday night the Siena Saints opened up conference play with a 74-70 victory over the Canisius Golden Griffins. The Saints used a 12-0 run down the stretch to fend off Canisius in their MAAC opener at MVP Arena. The Saints were led by Javian McCollum who’s 27 points led his team for the 6th time already this season. The sophomore guard guard shot 8/14 from the field, and 8/9 from the free throw line. The win saw the Saints take the lead in the all-time series, 23-22.After a slow start the Saints used a 15-3 run to claim a three-point advantage at the nine-minute mark. The Siena defense was hounding the Golden Griffins in the first half, holding them to just 29% shooting from the field including just 22% on two point attempts.
Canisius didn’t fold however, they ignited. The Golden Griffins shot 55% in the second period and eventually took a five-point lead with just under six minutes to go in the second half. The Saints did not flinch, however. The Siena men responded with 12 unanswered points in under two minutes, seven of which coming from the free throw line to take a seven-point lead which they carried to victory. It was a hard fought victory for Siena, who had to deal with the Canisius duo of Jordan Henderson who had 18 points and Jamir Moultrie who tallied 17 himself.
McCollum wasn’t without reinforcements, however, as grad transfer Jackson Stormo from Pepperdine recorded his fourth career double double with 11 points and 10 rebounds as well as a career high five blocks. Michael Baer also chipped in 10 points off the bench on only four shots along with five rebounds in two blocks. The Siena men won their second straight game as they look forward to Georgetown on Wednesday. They’re looking to build momentum and win their third straight for the first time this season.
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