Nico Clareth pours in 27 as Siena drops Holy Cross, 71-66 special

Staff reports ALBANY, N.Y. » Junior guard Nico Clareth poured in 29 points to lead Siena Basketball to a 71-65 victory over Holy Cross at the Times Union Center. Freshman guard Roman Penn added 13 points for the Saints which wrap up non-conference play with a 4-9 record.

Clareth shot 8-14 from the floor in moving to within 33 points of 1,000 for his career. He also connected on 10 of his 11 free throw attempts for Siena which shot 26-36 overall from the foul line to tie for both the program’s most makes and attempts since going 35-45 in the 2016 MAAC Quarterfinals vs. Manhattan.

Patrick Benzan led three in double figures with 12 points off the bench for Holy Cross (3-8) which has dropped eight of nine. Connor Niego added 11 points and Jehyve Floyd scored 10.

The Saints spotted the Crusaders the game’s first 10 points. But Siena shot an even 50% in the stanza, and ended the half on a 12-3 run to claim a 40-33 advantage at the break. Clareth scored seven of his 18 first half points during the spurt.

The Saints used a 10-1 second half run to push their lead to as many as 12 at 62-50 on a Clareth three with 8:47 to go. Holy Cross hung around down the stretch, but was unable to rally any closer than four points in the waning seconds as Siena improved to a perfect 7-0 all-time at home in the series.

Freshman forward Prince Oduro returned following a one-game absence to add nine points off the suddenly potent Saints’ bench which added 47 more to their tally. Siena’s reserves have totaled a whopping 147 points spanning three games over the past week.

The Saints will now break for Christmas before returning to action for the start of conference play next Friday, Dec. 29 when they travel to MAAC rival Marist for a 7 p.m. tip. Riley scored for the second time in three games. After Mercier received the puck from teammate Ben Murphy behind the Worcester net, he hit Riley in front where the University of Maine graduate beat Gillam on the blocker side for his third tally of the season. Mercier and Murphy picked up the helpers on the play, the second point of the evening for Mercier.

With just over five minutes remaining in regulation, the Thunder opened up a three-goal lead as Harrison fired home his fourth of the season. The 6-4 winger created a turnover at the offensive blueline, skated in alone on Gillam and fired a wrist shot into the back of the net on the blocker side for the insurance goal. Harrison’s goal was recorded as unassisted. 11-30 for the entire season. In 2017, the Mountaineers received only two yellow cards and not a single red through their 18 contests (11 percent).

“As a team, our word of the year was ‘respect,’” said seventh-year SVC head coach Michael Zauzig. “We wanted everyone involved with the program—coaches and players—to remember this each and every day: respect yourself; respect your team; respect the opponent; respect the officials; ultimately, respect everyone in your life. I thought the team did an excellent job of executing this principal throughout the season.”

The Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award is given out at four levels— the highest being platinum which is given to squads which do not receive any cards during the year. Gold is for teams with percentages between 1-10 while bronze recognizes crews with percentages between 31-50.

This year marks the fourth-straight season that Southern Vermont’s women’s side has earned the silver award, and it is the fifth of the team’s last six campaigns.

“I’m extremely proud that we are receiving this award again,” Zauzig noted. “These young women continue to represent our program and Southern Vermont College with class each day. I want them to take pride in this achievement and carry it through each aspect of their life.”

SVC was joined by the Becker College women’s squad (bronze) as the only teams from the New England Collegiate Conference to reel in the honor. ALBANY, N.Y. » Siena Athletics will celebrate the New Year and National Bloody Mary Day by offering a special ticket and drink promotion during the scheduled home game against MAAC rival Quinnipiac on Monday, January 1 at 1 p.m.

In celebration of National Bloody Mary Day, fans can purchase two tickets to the game and two 14-ounce “build-your-own” Bloody Mary cocktails, which come in commemorative souvenir cups, for just $35. Fans must be at least 21 years old and present valid identification to enjoy the Bloody Mary Station.

The Bloody Mary Station will be located at the top of Section 113, next to the Pick Six Bar. The station will offer a bevy of complimentary garnishes to craft the perfect New Year’s Day remedy, including bacon, celery, green olives, horseradish, and miniature pickles, amongst other items.

Fans who already purchased tickets to the January 1 game can still join in the celebration by purchasing an individual Bloody Mary cocktail for $10.

Advance tickets can be purchased by contacting the Siena Fan Relations Management Center at (518) 487-2202, by e-mail at sienatickets2@siena.edu, or on game day at the Times Union Center Box Office. Thursday have completed their NCAA Division I eligibility, and were selected by a committee of MLS and NCAA Division I coaches. Additional invitees will be announced at a later date.

Pinheiro, who graduated UAlbany following the fall semester, ranks first in Division I program history with 91 points, 38 goals, and 81 appearances, and shares the lead with 15 assists. His senior year campaign saw him score seven goals and record four assists while earning America East AllConference First Team honors, All-East Second Team honors, Scholar All-America Second Team honors, and Scholar All-East honors.

Pinheiro scored the game-winning goal in the 2016 America East title game, a penalty kick in the 89th minute, to clinch UAlbany’s firstever America East title and berth into the NCAA tournament. This season, he hit the game-clinching penalty kick in a shootout against UMBC in the America East quarterfinals, and later converted another PK against Maryland en route to the Danes’ 5-4 PK victory over the Terrapins in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Pinheiro is the second UAlbany player to be invited to the MLS Combine, following goalkeeper Steward Ceus in 2009. Ceus was drafted 37th overall in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids.

The MLS adidas Player Combine will take place January 11-17 at Orlando City Stadium and feature representatives from all 23 MLS clubs. The MLS SuperDraft will take place two days later, January 19, in Philadelphia.