Albany, NY (Sports Network) - Edwin Ubiles recorded a game-high 27 points along with seven rebounds to help the Sienna Saints past the Fairfield Stags in overtime, 72-65, to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Championship.
MAAC Tournament Championship: Siena Edges Fairfield In Overtime, 72-65
Alex Franklin and Ryan Rossiter had double-doubles as Franklin scored 22, Rossiter scored 10, and they both grabbed 12 rebounds for the Saints (27-6), who will head into the NCAA Tournament having won their last five games.
This will mark Sienna’s third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and third straight MAAC Tournament title.
Derek Needham led Fairfield (22-10) with 16 points as Anthony Johnson added 14 and 13 rebounds. The Stags were looking for their fifth tournament crown.
In the extra period, Sienna took a four-point lead at 64-60 after a Franklin and Rossiter bucket, with Rossiter’s bucket coming with 3:44 left. Fairfield got within two at 64-62, but was unable to recapture the lead as the Saints scored six straight to extend the advantage to 70-64, including two Ubiles free throws with 30 seconds remaining to cement the win.
Down 11 at halftime, Sienna fought back to tie the game at 53 with 7:46 to go and took its first lead since early in the game on a Ronald Moore three- pointer with 2:07 remaining. Sienna had a 60-58 edge at that point, but Fairfield's Colin Nickerson converted on a fastbreak layup with 55 second left to tie the game at 60-60.
With the game tied at 11, Fairfield mounted a 21-8 run that gave the Stags a 32-19 lead with 6:30 left in the opening half. Sienna then scored five straight, but couldn’t get within 10 as Fairfield went into halftime leading 39-28.
Sienna has won 38 straight games at home...Siena shot 44.1 percent over the course of the game while Fairfield made 41.5 percent of its shots.
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