The Iona Gaels (16-10) visit Siena to play the Saints (19-9) in what should be a high-scoring game. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 22 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Saints won big over Rider 84-64 on Friday. Brett Bisping played a pivotal role, recording 24 points and 18 rebounds to notch his 10th double-double this season. The Gaels, meanwhile, are coming off an 83-67 win over Monmouth on Friday. A.J. English shot 9 for 17 and led in scoring with 31 points.
Nico Clareth has really been playing well over the last five games for the Saints. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.2 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Saints won the first game 81-78. Despite the loss, English was the game’s leading scorer with 31 points.
The Saints come into this game 19-9 Straight Up (SU) and 13-8-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Saints are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .386 from beyond the arc. The Saints have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 36th-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 39.9 per game, while the Gaels rank 116th in the nation with 37.4 per game. Transitioning to the Siena defense, an area where the Saints are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 4.8 blocks per game, 43rd in Division I.
As for their opponent, the Gaels head into the game with records of 11-14 ATS and 16-10 SU. Iona has done particularly well ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 7-3. Offensively, they average 79.0 points per game, which is good for 41st in the country. The Gaels are an excellent long-range shooting team with 253 three-point shots made (9.0 per game), ranking 29th in Division I. When it comes to stealing the ball, the Gaels are one of the best in the nation with an average of 7.6 steals per game.
With the Saints’ last win against Iona, Siena moved closer to evening up its record against Iona. It now stands at 2-8 SU over their most recent meetings. At 5-5, they are even ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers, neither team was able to hold the advantage in all three of these categories over their past five meetings against one another.
Predictions: SU Winner – Siena, ATS Winner – Siena
Notes
Siena averages 78.2 points per game (ranked 58th). Iona, on the other hand, allows 74.0 points per game (ranked 186th).
Siena scores 80.2 points per home game (ranked 74th). Iona ranks a poor 179th in points allowed on the road, allowing 76.4 points.
Siena won its last game by a 20-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Iona is 4-2. Siena is 5-2 in blowouts this season.
Ranked 98th, the Iona Gaels have an offensive rating of 109.3. The Siena Saints rank 129th with a defensive rating of just 101.5.
Iona has an average field goal percentage of 45.0%. Siena is an even 4-4 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Siena Saints rank higher based on their field goal percentage (41st) than their effective field goal percentage (76th). The Iona Gaels rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (59th) than their field goal percentage (125th).
Ranked 25th in the nation, Iona has an average of 16.6 assists per game. Siena ranks lower at 110th with 14.4.
Siena ranks 43rd in blocks per game with 4.8 and Iona ranks 89th with 4.2 blocks per game.
Siena ranks 38th in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, Iona ranks 93rd.
The Iona Gaels make an average of 7.6 steals per game. When the Siena Saints give up 7 or more steals, they are a winning 15-6.
