5 Saints in Double Figures, Siena Rolls Over Hofstra to Collect First Win
Video: Jake Martino/Upstate Sports Zone
Cover Photo: Camdyn Ames/ Upstate Sports Zone
The Siena Saints were at home and in action looking for their first win of this years campaign. The main goal for Siena coming into this game was to not send the fans home with their heads hanging. Still looking for the first win of the 2017 season, CAA favorite, Hofstra came into town looking for an easy win. That’s not what they got. Siena gave Hofstra a test, and for the teams they have played, including #9 North Carolina, this was a difficult task at hand.
Siena struggled on the boards and in the paint to start the game, but the three’s were falling. Nico Clareth was on fire, scoring 12 points in the first half, 9 of them on the three ball. Once the game got going, Siena cleaned it up on the boards and out rebounded the Pride 16-15 in the first half. Just 3 of those 16 rebounds were offensive, while Hofstra collected 9 offensive rebounds which led to 10 second chance points. Rokas Gustys was a big key in that part of the game, he finished the half with 8 points and 8 rebounds. Siena led at the half 38-33, 8 of those points came from Roman Penn who was 2 for 2 from 3 point land. The Saints scored 21 of their 38 1st half points off of 3 pointers.
In the second half, Clareth hit another three, but got into some foul trouble committing 5 fouls. The Saints needed someone else to step up, and it was freshman Prince Oduro. Prince struggled against Gustys in the first half but turned that around in the second, scoring 13 second half points, and grabbing 8 boards. Oduro had two HUGE dunks in the second that really got the crowd going. “It felt really good to get those two dunks” said Oduro. Roman Penn also stepped up for the Saints, shooting 2 for 3 from 3 point, collecting 14 points and 11 assists. The Saints had 5 players score in double figures, Clareth with 17, Oduro with 17, Penn with 14, Christian Bentley with 11, and Khalil Richard with 10.
“It felt like the monkey jumped off my back” said Clareth about the Saints first win of the 2017-18 season. “I think everyone knows the feeling, everyone knows the feeling of losing, we know the feeling of winning and we know how to get there and we know what we need to do to feel that way.”
The Saints are home for Wednesdays game vs St. Bonaventure in the Franciscan Cup. Siena enters that matchup at 1-4 and Bonaventure (3-2) comes off a 10-point loss to TCU. It should be interesting to see how Siena fares against the Bonnies, who just upset Maryland in the Emerald Coast Classic 63-61 on Friday.
