Location: Koessler Athletic Center – Buffalo, N.Y.

Starters:  G - #1 Malcolm McMillan; G - #5 Kassius Robertson, G - #23 Jamal Reynolds, F - #22 Phil Valenti, C - #14 Kevin Bleeker

Game Recap
Visiting Siena College tied a Koessler Athletic Center record by shooting 66 percent (33-for-50) from the field and redshirt-junior Brett Bisping recorded a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds as the Saints defeated Canisius 99-78 Sunday afternoon in the Koessler Athletic Center. Siena improved to 13-7 overall and 6-3 in the MAAC with the win, while the Golden Griffins saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Canisius is now 10-11 overall and 5-5 in league play.

Bisping's 27 points was one shy of matching his career-high, which he set earlier this season against Fairfield. Fellow junior Lavon Long had a career-day as well, scoring a career best 25 points to go with eight assists and four rebounds. Long was one of three Siena players with seven or more makes from the field in the victory, as he went a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor, along with going 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. Freshman Nico Clareth had 19 points and six assists off the bench for the Saints, who snapped a six-game losing streak in the series with Canisius by earning the victory.

Canisius had four players score in double-figures, led by junior Phil Valenti, who recorded 17 points after shooting 6-for-12 from the field, 3-for-3 from 3-point land and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Sophomore Kassius Robertson scored 13 points, with senior guard Malcolm McMillan adding 11 points and seven assists. Sophomore Jermaine Crumpton came off the bench to score 11 points as the Griffs ended the day shooting 45.3 percent from the field, 61.9 percent from 3-point land and just 53.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Siena's 66 percent effort from the field ties the Koessler Athletic Center record, which was set by Canisius on Nov. 30, 1983 when the Griffs shot 66 percent (33-for-50) from the floor in a win over Buffalo. The 99-points allowed by Canisius on Sunday are the most for the team at home since March 18, 2014, when VMI scored 111 points against Canisius in the first round of the CIT.

How It Happened:
• Sunday's game started off like a track meet, with both teams scoring 13 points before the game's first media timeout. The two teams combined for 26 points in the game's first 4:28 after the two units went a combined 11-for-11 from the field to start.
• The game was tied at 19-19 with 12:11 left in the first half before Robinson put Canisius up 22-19 on a 3-pointer from the left corner. That lead would be the Griffs' last lead of the day.
• With the game knotted at 28-28 with 8:54 left before halftime, Siena used a 7-0 run over the span of 45 seconds, capped by a 3-pointer by Clareth, to make the score 35-28 in favor of the Saints. Siena led at halftime 48-38 after the visiting team shot 62.5 percent (20-for-32) from the floor and 45.5 percent (5-for-11) from 3-point land in the game's opening 20 minutes.
• In the second half, Siena kept making shots and the Saints led 67-52 with 13:59 left to play after Long scored three points on a traditional three-point play. Crumpton drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 13:48 left to make the score 67-55, but then the Saints pulled away for good, using a 20-5 run over the contest's next 5:38 to secure the win.

Beyond the Box Score:
• The two teams combined for 23 made 3-point field goals. The 13 makes from long-range by Canisius marks the 40th time under head coach Jim Baron where Canisius made 10 or more treys in a game.
• Siena scored 36 points in the paint and 21 points on the fast break. The Saints bench also accounted for 30 points in the team's win.
• The 99 points allowed by Canisius stands as the most points for a MAAC rival in the Koessler Athletic Center since Saint Peter's scored 103 points against the Griffs on Feb. 19, 2004.

Quotes from Canisius coach Jim Baron
"I was disappointed with the way we came out to start. I thought coming off the Niagara game where we rebounded the basketball and defended, we would have been ready. Give [Siena] credit, they came out and made shots and plays early and we missed a lot of easy shots."

"We got them in foul trouble early, which we knew was real important, and then we started to finesse instead of being strong and physical and getting to the free-throw line."

"[Brett] Bisping was a real difference maker. He hit some big shots and made some plays. We knew Lavon Long was going to be a mismatch for us because he's so strong and physical. We tried mixing man and then zone, but I give them a lot of credit. They made shots and they made plays."

Additional Game Notes:
• This was the 95th all-time meeting between the two schools, with Siena leading the series 52-43.
• The win by Siena ended the Saints' six-game losing streak in the series. Canisius is now 15-13 all-time against Siena in games played on the Koessler Athletic Center floor.
• The 21-point win for Siena is the Saints' biggest margin of victory over Canisius since Jan. 21, 2008 when Siena beat the Griffs 77-49 in Times Union Center.
• Three of the last four games between these two programs in the Koessler Athletic Center have been decided by 15 or more points. Last season, Canisius defeated Siena 83-49 in the Koessler Athletic Center on Jan. 16, 2015.
• Canisius shot a season-high 61.9 percent from 3-point range in the loss, the highest 3-point shooting effort for the Blue and Gold since Dec. 8, 2013 when the Griffs shot 57.7 percent (15-for-26) from behind the arc against Siena at home.
• Valenti has now scored in double-figures in three of the team's last four contests. He's averaging 15.7 points per game in 10 MAAC contests this season.
• McMillan's seven assists give him five or more assists in a game nine times this year and 36 times in his career.