Box Score HACKENSACK, N.J. - Siena forced 27 Fairleigh Dickinson turnovers and used a 14-3 run to close the second quarter to secure an 81-65 win. The Saints (5-7) scored 28 points off those 27 turnovers.
Head coach
Peter Cinella said afterwards, "We just turned it over to many times. That was really the difference. A lot of the stats were similar. One of our game goals is to get that third [scoring] option going, that seems to be the x-factor in our wins".
Fairleigh Dickinson was minus-1 on the glass (36-35) and shot 43.5% compared to Siena's 47.6% from the floor.
The Knights (3-9) drop their second consecutive game and are 2-3 on the current homestand.
Erika Livermore (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth Area) and
Kelsey Cruz (Chester, Va./Lloyd C. Bird) each had 20 points for Fairleigh Dickinson. Cruz added a season-high seven rebounds.
Anastasia Williams (Central Islip, N.Y./St. John the Baptist Diocesan) had nine points and five rebounds off the bench.
The teams played an even first quarter, then Siena scored six of the first eight points of the second quarter to take a 27-20 lead at the 7:30 mark. A Livermore layup got the Knights to within three, 30-27, before the Saint went on their run to take a 44-30 lead at the half.
Fairleigh Dickinson battled back in the third quarter. The Knights cut the lead to 10 on a Cruz three-pointer, then got within six at 53-47 on a Cruz layup with 3:36 to play. That proved to be as close as the Knights would get. Siena scored five straight to retake an 11-point lead and held a 64-50 lead heading into the fourth.
Siena expanded its advantage to as many as 20, 78-58, with 2:49 to play off a layup from Emmanuella Edoka. Edoka was one of five Saint who scored in double figures. Kollyns Scarbrough led Siena with 15.
Northeast Conference play awaits the Knights on Saturday when the, reigning NEC Tournament Champions, St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers come to Stratis Arena as part of men's and women's doubleheader. The women start at 2 p.m. with the starting at approximately at 4:30.
