The Siena Saints (21-12) challenge the Morehead State Eagles (19-12) in the first round of the CBI tournament at Times Union Center. The game gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 15.
The Saints lost to Iona 81-70 in the 3 of the Metro Atlantic Athletic tournament. Nico Clareth was the team’s high scorer with 18 points. The Eagles, meanwhile, are coming off an 83-70 loss at the hands of UT Martin in the 3 of the Ohio Valley tournament. Corban Collins accumulated 12 points, three assists, and two rebounds.
The Saints enter the game with records of 21-12 Straight Up (SU) and 15-11-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Siena has gotten to the free throw line often this season. They average 17 made free throws per game, which is 25th-best in Division I. Siena has an edge in the rebounding department for this game, where it racks up an average of 40.5 rebounds per game.
In the other locker room, the Eagles head into the game with records of 16-13 ATS and 19-12 SU. The Eagles have controlled the offensive glass with an average of 14.7 offensive rebounds per game, fourth in the country. Morehead State’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents making only 6.0 shots from the three-point line per game. Teams with weak ball handling have not fared well against the Eagles, who rank 25th in the nation with 7.9 steals per game.
This game will be the first meeting for Siena and Morehead State in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Siena, ATS Winner – Siena
Notes
“Siena is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Siena is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Siena’s last 5 games at home”.
“Siena is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 7 of Siena’s last 9 games “.
The Siena Saints have a defensive rating of 102.5 (ranked 91st), while the Morehead State Eagles have an offensive rating of 109.1 (ranked 101st).
Morehead State has an average field goal percentage of 43.9%. Siena is an even 6-6 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Siena Saints and the Morehead State Eagles both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Siena is 108th and 60th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Morehead State ranks 235th and 193rd in these categories.
Siena ranks 100th in assists, registering 14.5 per game. Morehead State performs worse at 116th with 14.3 assists per game.
Ranked 18th in the nation, Siena averages 40.5 rebounds per game. Morehead State ranks lower at 118th with 37.2 RPG.
Morehead State ranks among the best in the country in offensive rebounding at fourth, while Siena ranks 70th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Morehead State forces a turnover rate of 22.2%, ranked ninth in the nation. When Siena turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a stellar 12-4 record.
