Jan. 23, 2007

Box Score

ALBANY, NY - Siena exploded for 50 first-half points, including 30 on 10-for-15 three-point shooting, en route to an 87-63 men's basketball win over visiting New Jersey Institute of Technology Tuesday night at the Times Union Center in downtown Albany.

The Saints, who connected on seven of their first eight three-point tries, got a career-high 21 points from Tay Fisher, who came off the bench to shoot five-for-eight on three-pointers. Freshman Ronald Moore finished with 15 points and made all four of his shots from deep.

NJIT got 17 points from Kraig Peters, while senior Clayton Barker finished with 15 points and five assists. Barker scored 13 of his points in the first half, while Peters collected 12 of his points in the second half.

Cory Magee, playing 24 minutes in a reserve role, grabbed a game-high nine rebounds to lead Siena, which outrebounded NJIT, 39-29. Dan Stonkus had six rebounds to pace the Highlanders on the boards.

In addition to connecting on 60 percent of its three-point shots (12-20) for the game, Siena had an overwhelming advantage in bench points. Led by Fisher's game-high 21 points, the Saints reserves outscored their NJIT counterparts, 53-11.

The prolific bench production gave the Saints a lift, as their three usual leading scorers--starters Michael Haddix, Kenny Hasbrouck and Edwin Ubiles--who came in averaging better than 45 points per game among them, combined for 13 points against the Highlanders.

It was Moore, the freshman guard, who set the tone for Siena, making three of his three-pointers in the opening 3:18. Siena's David Ryan hit another three-pointer 32 seconds later, staking the Saints to a 14-5 lead at the 16:10 mark.

Fisher, who did not enter the game until midway through the first half, provided the kind of late firepower that Moore had offered Siena early. Fisher, the junior guard, hit four three-pointers in the last 8:55 of the half, including a moving shot off a screen at the top of the key with seven seconds left that delivered a 50-31 halftime lead to Siena.

Moore and Fisher each had 14 first-half points. In the opening 20 minutes, Moore was 4-for-4 on threes, Fisher was 4-for-6 and Ryan was 2-for-3. Barker's 13 points led the Highlanders at the break. He was 3-for-5 on three-point tries.

Leading by 19 points at the half, Siena got the first basket of the second on a jump shot by senior Michael Haddix with 19:16 left. Nesho Milosevic answered for NJIT with a 14-foot jump shot in the lane, but the Highlanders did not get any closer.

NJIT, which played Tuesday for the first time in a week, has even more time off before its next competition. The Highlanders are off until Thursday, February 1, when they visit Utah Valley State.

Tuesday night's game at Siena was the last one this season for the Highlanders against a conference-affiliated opponent. The final 10 games of 2006-07, NJIT's first season competing at the NCAA Division I level, are against other Division I independents.