Danes relish underdog role
Coach eager to have “chance to go slay the beast up at Maine”
As the two most successful programs in America East women’s basketball, the University at Albany and Maine have met six times in the conference tournament, each winning three times.
It would be reasonable to say that the Great Danes have never been as big an underdog against the Black Bears as they will be Sunday in a semifinal tournament matchup in Orono, Maine.
“I love that you call us the underdog,” Ualbany coach Colleen Mullen said, “because we are the underdog. We’ve been the underdog all year, and to be in this position that we got to host the first round, finish in fourth place and have a chance to go slay the beast up at Maine is a great opportunity for us.”
get in 16 of a possible 20 MAAC regular-season games despite enduring four pauses related to positive COVID -19 tests that didn’t allow them to start their season until Jan. 3.
No MAAC team got in the full allotment of league games.
There were 89 of a possible 110 MAAC regular-season games played with 21 canceled.
“In a year like no other, I am so proud to coach such a resilient group of young men,” Siena coach Carmen Maciariello tweeted Saturday. “Brought together to grow thru shared adversity. With pauses/quarantines/injuries + expectations, we are right where we need to be.”
The Saints begin tournament play with a quarterfinal at 5 p.m. Wednesday in Boardwalk Hall against the winner of Tuesday’s first-round game between No. 8 Quinnipiac (7-10) and No. 9 Iona (6-3). Teams are seeded by overall league wins, not winning percentage this year.
The Bobcats and the Gaels are the only two MAAC teams Siena didn’t play this season because of the pandemic. Led by Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, Iona is 10-0 all-time against Siena in the MAAC Tournament.
Siena will have to win three games in four days to earn its first tournament title since 2010. The Saints were rolling toward a possible title at Boardwalk Hall last year before the pandemic halted the season with Siena in the semifinals.
With coronavirus still a real threat, Siena and the other teams will undergo testing every morning in Atlantic City. The NCAA requires seven days of negative tests from everyone in the Tier 1 group — players, coaches and support staff — of a team that qualifies for the
NCAA Tournament.
Ensor said the PCR spit testing will cost the league about $200,000.
“None of this comes cheap, but we’re trying to protect the teams to the highest degree possible,” Ensor said.
When Siena arrives in Atlantic City on Sunday, the players check into the Tropicana Casino and Resort, where all the men’s teams are staying in the same tower.
Each team will have its own floor through at least Thursday night and suites for coaches and team meetings.
Teams can have their meals delivered to their rooms or go to restaurants as long as they make arrangements for separate seating.
“I think teams are going to be cautious,” Ensor said. “Everybody’s worked hard to get here and they’re not just going to go about the town.”
“We’re not really allowed to leave our room, or if we do leave our room and go into a teammate’s room, we have to wear a mask and everything,” Siena guard Jalen Pickett said. “Nobody’s allowed to go to the casino or bar or club or anything like that.”
Each team will be allowed 150 family members and friends at the games, but they’ll sit in the upper sections without access to the floor.
If the Saints are the ones cutting down the nets next Saturday, they’ll board a flight to Indiana that night and wait to see who they draw in the NCAA Tournament. If a team that gets the automatic bid can’t play in the NCAA Tournament because of COVID-19, they’ll be replaced by the runner-up or, if need be, the semifinalists in order of seed.
“We really just want to come out and take that photo and rip down the nets and enjoy that moment,” Pickett said.