Saints look to turn tables on Monmouth
Saints lost to Hawks by 12 points back on Tuesday in New Jersey
Siena men’s basketball graduate guard Nick Hopkins doesn’t have to worry about what he’s going to do after graduation.
Hopkins, one of four Saints players to be honored Sunday on Senior Day, already has a job. Hopkins said a company has hired him as a supplychain associate. He starts in June.
“I had to weigh out all my options, but now I can just play freely and just not focus too much (on his job prospects) and just try to win,” Hopkins said. “Just go out with a bang, at least.”
He’ll try to go out a winner on Sunday in his final college home game at MVP Arena. The Saints (14-11 overall, 11-6 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) are eager to get another shot at Monmouth, which defeated Siena 71-59 on Tuesday in West Long Branch, N.J.
“For sure, for sure,” Hopkins said. “We didn’t play our best basketball. We didn’t shoot the ball well. That’s what it came down to . ... Now we’re back in MVP Arena. We’ve got our fans. We’re excited. Especially
since it’s Senior Night, too.”
Hopkins will take part in a pregame ceremony along with graduate guard Anthony Gaines, senior walk-on guard Robert Mahala and redshirt senior forward Michael Tertsea. Senior student manager Carter Morelli will also be honored.
True to the nature of today’s college basketball, when transfers are prevalent, the four players have spent varied amounts of time in Siena’s program. Hopkins played two seasons for Siena after transferring from Belmont. Gaines is in his first year with the Saints after coming over from Northwestern.
Gaines said only “it could be my last game in MVP Arena.” He said he’s focused on this season and wouldn’t commit to whether he’ll forego his remaining year of eligibility to pursue a pro career.
Tertsea also played just one season for Siena after stints at Rhode Island and Division II Gannon. Mahala is the only traditional four-year player out of the group.
Maciariello said he doesn’t think he’ll change his starting lineup for Senior Day. Hopkins and Gaines are already starters.
“You always want to win on Senior Day,” Maciariello said. “I just think for us, and where we need to go, we need to be consistent. I think it’s about what Siena basketball is, and I think that’s what these seniors appreciate.”
With three regular-season games left, Siena’s players are well aware of the importance of Sunday’s contest in the MAAC standings. The Saints are tied for second place with Saint Peter’s, though Siena owns the tiebreaker due to its two-game sweep of the Peacocks. Monmouth (18-10, 10-7) is in fourth place, a game behind.
The Saints, who wrapped up a first-round bye with Friday’s results, are still trying to lock down the No. 2 seed in the MAAC Tournament from March 8-12 in Atlantic City. Getting the second seed would allow Siena a day off between the quarterfinals and semifinals.
“It means a lot,” Gaines said. “Especially with the rescheduling of all our games (because of COVID), we haven’t had a lot of time where we’ve had breaks . ... It would be big for us because that way we don’t have three games in a row (in the tournament).”
Gaines will be accompanied on to the court before the game by at least some of his five siblings. His mother won’t be able to make it from North Carolina.
“A winning culture, I don’t know if I expected that, but I knew that’s what Siena had and I was excited to be part of that,” Gaines said. “But as far as the fan base, the community around Siena, everything (is more than) what I expected . ... I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of that.”
Maciariello said senior center Jackson Stormo, graduate forward Michael Baer and senior guard Jayce Johnson are all expected to come back next season for their final year of eligiblity. Johnson is out for the remainder of the season with a sprained ligament and bruising in his right elbow.
Stormo relished another shot at Monmouth on Sunday.
“We’ve got to learn from our mistakes on Tuesday, and move forward and try to go kick their (butt) on Sunday,” he said.
Sophomore guard Aidan Carpenter is day-to-day with a groin injury, according to Maciariello. Carpenter took part in the team’s light workout on Saturday.