LOUDONVILLE — Siena men’s basketball coach Carmen Maciariello didn’t like much of what he saw the last time his team faced Marist a month ago.
“I thought we played awful that game,” Maciariello said. “There was a lot of lessons to be learned from that one.”
But the Saints still prevailed 67-60 in Poughkeepsie after rallying from a 17-point deficit with 12:28 remaining.
Siena graduate guard Anthony Gaines gave his team the lead for good on a three-point play with 1:16 left.
The Saints (12-9 overall, 9-4 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) are playing much better since that night. They’ve won six out of seven to surge into sole possession of second place, three games behind first-place Iona (two in the loss column).
However, the Red Foxes (11-13, 6-9) have recovered from a midseason swoon to win three straight entering Friday’s rematch with Siena at 7 p.m. at MVP Arena.
“I think we need to start the game off better than we did at their place — with energy,” Gaines said. “But (other than that) no different than what we’ve been doing. Staying disciplined, staying locked in on the scout, the game plan. Bringing that defensive presence, rebounding and making it easy for ourselves offensively, moving the ball, sharing the ball and taking good shots.”
The first meeting featured a battle of words between two freshmen, Siena’s Jared Billups and Marist’s Jao Ituka, who know each other from growing up in Maryland. Billups said before the game, ” “I don’t think they’re really cohesive as a team. Just a lot of players that want to score the ball.”
The Marist coaches showed that quote to their players, and Ituka said afterward it served as motivation. He also promised a victory in the rematch with Siena.
“No mistake we’ll go there and get a dub (win) and just keep pushing and keep getting better as a team,” Ituka said then.
Billups offered Marist no bulletin-board material this week.
“I ain’t got nothing,” Billups said. “They just came off three straight wins. I think it will be a good game.”
He said he and Ituka haven’t spoken this week.
“I still remember what he said, but I think it will be a fun matchup,” Billups said.
Marist coach John Dunne said he hasn’t mentioned anything to his team about the previous flare-up.
“I just stay consistent in my approach as far as the game plan goes,” he said. “I haven’t heard my guys mentioning it. We’re just focused on preparation right now, but if I can give my guys any extra motivation, so be it.”
After losing five games in a row, Marist has bounced back with a 25-point win at Monmouth and victories at home against Canisius and Niagara. The Red Foxes have averaged 77 points over those three games. Marist is ranked second in the MAAC in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to kenpom.com, behind only Iona.
“I think we’ve just done a lot better job, we’ve made much more of an effort to share the ball,” Dunne said. “We’ve taken care of the ball recently and we’ve just shared it better and made an effort to share it, not reluctant sharing. I think if we can continue to do that, we’re going to give ourselves opportunities to win games.”
Maciariello turned the last meeting around by abandoning his man-to-man defense and going to a 1-3-1 zone that left Marist bewildered.
“Of course, we’ll expect it (Friday),” Dunne said. “We just played against it with Niagara, too. They’ve been throwing some out there, too. … You just have to be ready for it and prepared at this point.”
Siena plays Saint Peter’s on Sunday at MVP Arena. The Saints will try to complete regular-season sweeps of both teams.
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: MVP Arena, Albany
TV/Radio: MY-4, WGDJ 1300 AM, 98.7 FM
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism