The game was nearly over before it started.
Four minutes into the MAAC tournament semifinals matchup between Siena and Fairfield, it was clear who the stronger team was.
When Siena point guard Ronald Moore connected on a jump shot with 14:54 remaining in the first half to give the Saints a 16-6 lead, the Stags (17-15) hopes of a shocking upset were all but crushed. Moore and the Saints (25-7) raced out to a dominating start, with Moore delivering nine assists on the Saints first ten baskets en route to a tournament-record 14 assists in the game.
‘They came out right from the giddy up and dictated pace,’ Fairfield head coach Ed Cooley said. ‘I thought we were a little tired and they were able to take advantage of our weaknesses.
‘We played a very good team in their building,’ he added.
While Siena entered the game expecting a victory, head coach Fran McCaffery said he did not expect it to be easy.
‘We knew we were going to get a great fight from them,’ McCaffery said. ‘I thought the beginning of the game would be very important if you were going to draw it up, you wouldn’t have drawn it up any different than that.’
It would be the Saints, favored to win the conference from the start of the season, who would go on to defeat Niagara in the championship game and earn a second straight NCAA tournament berth, while the Stags rollercoaster ride of a season came to a close.
The loss to Siena came a day after fifth-seeded Fairfield earned a minor upset of No.4-seeded Manhattan, 68-61.
In that game, junior Mike Evanovich scored 18 points, senior Herbie Allen added 17 points and Yorel Hawkins recorded a double-double from sophomore Yorel Hawkins (12 points, 11 rebounds) to pace the Stags.
In addition, junior Greg Nero returned from a three-week absence due to a back injury, but was still far from 100 percent. In just 19 minutes of play, he scored 11 points, including the Stags first eight points of the second half when they stormed back from a nine-point deficit to take a lead they would not relinquish again.
But it was a much different story against Siena. The Stags were clearly outmatched. Nero was ineffective after expending most of his energy against the Jaspers. Allen did manage to close his career with a 19-point effort.
With the loss, an arduous senior season came to a close for Allen, who averaged 18 points in the two tournament games. He was forced to move into a bigger role following Han’s departure.
‘It was a challenge at first, but I got used to it,’ Allen said. ‘Coach gave me the confidence to lead this team. I felt prepared, I felt that I was working this season.’
‘I can’t tell you how proud I am of our kids,’ Cooley said. ‘I am very sad for my senior Herbie, the fact that this is his last game, but I am very excited we were even able to play in this game. Hopefully this is a learning experience for us.’
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