LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — After months of workouts, drills and intersquad competition, the Siena men’s basketball team was ready to square off against some different faces Sunday.
Siena held an exhibition game against Union College at the UHY Center and defeated the Garnet Chargers, 93-51, dominating the second half with a 48-14 scoring advantage.
Isaiah Henderson led the Saints with 16 points, including four three-pointers. Brendan Coyle was effective from beyond the arc with three three-pointers and tallied 15 points overall. Justice Shoats contributed on both ends with six points and a game-high four steals. Marcus Jackson controlled the boards, securing a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with four assists.
Tanner Tedesco led the Garnet Chargers with 13 points and three assists, converting 5-of-8 field goals. Jack Plesser added 12 points, shooting 6-of-16 from the field. He also pulled down five rebounds. Matthew Garside contributed 11 points with a made three-pointer and recorded one block and one steal. Brendan Reid finished with eight points, including two three-pointers, and grabbed four rebounds.
The game marked the first exhibition meeting between Siena and Union since Nov. 8, 2008. It opened with Plesser scoring a jumper as part of his perfect start, beginning the game 4-4 from the field, which set the tone early. Antonio Chandler quickly responded by converting two free throws to tie the game at 2-2.
Union started strong as a team, connecting on its first six shots from the field. The Garnet Chargers built a slight lead, with Garside and Plesser contributing to a 10-5 advantage just over three minutes in. However, Siena countered with a series of successful plays, including a three-pointer by Christian Jones at 13:29 to even the score at 19-19.
Union rattled off a 7-0 run to reclaim a 26-19 edge, but the Saints responded to that as well, scoring 10 unanswered points – a run punctuated by an Owen Schlager trey ball at the 8:06 mark that gave Siena its first lead of the game, 27-26.
Siena gained even more momentum late in the half, growing the margin to nine with 3:25 to play before halftime after three Coyle free throws and a subsequent three-pointer. Despite a late jumper by Plesser, Siena led 45-37 at the end of the first half, closing the half on a 26-14 run. The Saints showcased their depth with 10 different scorers in the opening 20 minutes of action.
Siena dominated after the break, opening the second half on a 24-5 run. Tasman Goodrick’s early contributions, including a dunk and a layup assisted by Shoats, set the tone for the Saints. Coyle added two crucial three-pointers, while Henderson added offensive firepower with two three-pointers and a layup. Siena’s defense was equally strong, with multiple blocks and steals, including a defensive stop and steal by Danny Murray in the final seconds.
The Saints connected on 51 percent of field goals in the second half, including seven three-pointers, while limiting Union to just 19% shooting from the floor. Siena’s defense was proactive, forcing four turnovers and blocking four shots, which contributed to a commanding finish. Siena also excelled in transition, scoring 15 fast-break points to close the period with a substantial lead.
Looking ahead, Siena will host Bryant on Monday, Nov. 3, to open the regular season. That matchup is set for 7 p.m. at MVP Arena.
