GAME NOTES: A couple of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference teams trying to get back into the win column this afternoon collide at the Hynes Athletics Center, as the Iona Gaels host the Siena Saints. On Thursday night, the Saints suffered an ugly 85-56 loss to Loyola-Maryland on the road, snapping the team's four- game win streak and knocking them down to 7-2 in league action. Although, entering the weekend that conference mark still had Siena tied with Rider and Marist for the top spot in the MAAC standings nonetheless. As for the Gaels, they suffered their second consecutive setback on Thursday as well when they bowed to the Red Foxes at home by a score of 59-50. Now just 7-14 on the campaign, Iona has won three of nine MAAC contests thus far. Siena won the first meeting of the season between the teams with an 81-76 triumph at home back on December 9th, which means Iona now holds a 49-40 advantage in the all- time series.

Shooting a miserable 25.8 percent form the field in the first half, Siena tried to battle back after the break, but had to suffer through 4-of-17 shooting beyond the arc in the lopsided loss to Loyola earlier this week. Kenny Hasbrouck ended up with a team-high 19 points and four steals, while Edwin Ubiles tacked on 11 points on just 4-of-13 shooting from the floor for a team that ended up at 29.2 percent overall on the night. Ubiles leads the club in scoring this season with his 16.5 ppg, thanks to not only 53 percent shooting from the field overall, but also 44.9 percent out on the perimeter. The only player to start every game for Siena, Hasbrouck accounts for 14.8 ppg, while Alex Franklin chips in with 13.0 ppg and a team-best 7.1 rpg, in an effort to offset his mere 16 assists over 14 games played.

Just like Siena, the Gaels had a horrible time shooting the ball from the field in the first half against Marist, converting just 25.7 percent, not to mention 3-of-14 behind the three-point line. Needless to say, Iona made good on just 29 percent for the game from the field and 5-of-22 beyond the arc, with Milan Prodanovic representing the lone double-digit scorer for the home team with his 10 points. Kyle Camper and Devon Clarke combined to shoot just 5-of-23 from the floor. Camper has watched his shooting percentage drop all the way down to .361, with his 59.5 percent accuracy at the free-throw line also holding him back. Dexter Gray is at the top of the scoring list with 11.0 ppg, followed by Prodanovic and Clarke with 10.2 and 10.1 ppg, respectively. As a whole, Iona is posting just 66.7 ppg, mainly because the squad is averaging about 19 turnovers per contest.

Both teams looked dreadful in their most recent outings, but one has to assume that the talent on the Siena side will bounce back much more quickly this afternoon.