Written By: Azarr Johnson
“When we came in, that was the mindset five years ago — to change the attitude of the program,” Siena head coach Terry Primm said after the game.“Every year we’ve adjusted in some way. These young ladies coming in brand new — and the ones who may not have played much before — what they’ve done is extremely hard. To lock in on such a big goal and stick to it despite adversity is special. You celebrate the bye, but there’s still an ultimate goal. Even without some key players, everyone is going to contribute any way they can because this team is going for it.”
— Enveonline (@Enveonline) March 7, 2026
For the final game of the regular season, the Siena Saints women’s basketball hosted a rivalry matchup against the Marist Red Foxes women’s basketball.
While the game carried its usual rivalry intensity, the stakes were higher for Siena. Marist had already secured a spot in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women’s basketball tournament and entered the contest looking for bragging rights after defeating the Saints 75–72 earlier in the season on their home court.
For Siena, however, the game meant much more.
The Saints were looking to finish the regular season strong after a turbulent month. They began the month with two straight wins before dropping four consecutive games. Entering the matchup with a 3–4 record for the month, Siena needed a victory to secure the No. 5 seed and earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
Saints Control Early
As expected in a rivalry game, the opening period was tightly contested. Both teams struggled offensively, with neither shooting above 50 percent from the field.
Despite the offensive struggles, Siena controlled the pace and maintained the lead throughout the first quarter, closing the period ahead 17–13. Four of Siena’s five starters contributed points in the opening frame, while Marist’s offense leaned heavily on Justine Henry, who accounted for six of the Red Foxes’ points.
Defensive Adjustment Changes Momentum
When the second quarter began, Siena made a key defensive adjustment by implementing a full-court press.
The strategy immediately paid dividends.
Marist was unable to score until the seven-minute mark of the period, allowing Siena to build a 23–13 lead.
Coach Primm later explained in the postgame press conference that he noticed Marist struggling against the press during their previous meeting and believed it would be effective if deployed at the right time.
Despite the early deficit, the Red Foxes responded with resilience. Marist chipped away at the lead and eventually pulled within three points at 25–22.
Siena answered with a late push of its own, extending the lead back to seven points and entering halftime ahead 32–25.
Alden Yergy led the Saints with seven points at the break, while Marist’s offense was powered by Henry and Piddock, who combined for 16 of the team’s 25 points with eight each.
Saints Pull Away in the Third Quarter
Siena returned to the full-court press to start the second half, and once again it proved effective.
The Saints opened the third quarter on a 5–0 run, forcing Marist to call an early timeout. Siena continued to apply pressure after play resumed, extending the run to 11–2 and building a double-digit lead at 43–27.
Marist attempted to counter by applying a full-court press of their own, but Siena maintained control. By the end of the period, the Saints held a commanding 51–37 advantage.
The defensive pressure disrupted Marist’s rhythm while Siena improved its offensive efficiency, allowing the Saints to create separation heading into the final quarter.
Saints Finish the Job
Marist made one final push in the fourth quarter.
Behind the scoring of Henry and Lexi Turel, the Red Foxes cut the lead to nine points at 54–45 with just under four minutes remaining. Marist outscored Siena 20–16 in the final period, but the comeback effort fell short.
Henry finished with 14 points while Turel led Marist with 16, but Siena’s balanced performance throughout the game proved too much to overcome.
The Saints secured the 67–57 victory in front of their home crowd.
Tournament Implications
With the loss, Marist enters the conference tournament as the No. 9 seed and will face Manhattan Jaspers women’s basketball in the first round Thursday afternoon.
Siena, meanwhile, moves into the tournament as the No. 3 seed and earns a bye until Saturday.
The high seed marks a significant milestone for the program, which has not entered the tournament this highly ranked in several years.
Coach Primm acknowledged the moment while emphasizing that the team’s focus remains on the larger goal.
“We’re going to take every second of every day leading up to that first game and pour into the mindset we need to win,” Primm said.
“It’s a special experience. Not every conference gets to play at a neutral site like we do in Atlantic City. We love it there. Last year we didn’t get that win, but this team has the mindset now. They’re going to savor every second of it, and when that game comes, we’re going to fight with everything we have to get that win.”
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