Posted:
#1
This is a game you could care less about. You don't know these teams. You've never seen them play in your life. Not a single dribble.
And that is why you are here. To let someone else tell you what you would know in some alternate universe if you watched these teams.
I am you from that universe, your alter-ego from another dimension. And I, as you, know all about these teams.
And somehow, you are here, in this thread, bending the fabric of space and team reaching through the gelatinous chasm to your other, for one thing and one thing only....a winner. And I will give you that.
This is the "A team gave all it had the previous game and it can't gives no more this game" (Popeye voice) angle.
What team gave all it had?
Siena.
Siena played for the MAAC title last year against Iona falling a single point short.
It was a season to build upon.
What was the result this year? An unadulterated disaster.
Siena is 8-21 and tied for last in the conference. Anything they do will result in a bashing from Canisius, Rider or Niagara regardless of a win or loss here.
So there is basically nothing on the line to strive for.
Worse, Siena played perhaps one of it's most thrilling games ever against Monmouth last time out.
And therein lies the problem.
The game went to 3 OT's. In the second OT with 26 seconds left and an 85-80 lead Monmouth somehow, some way, allowed that game to become tied 85-85.
So certain was the outcome, the ESPN ticker actually sent in final 83-85 Monmouth. It was only after checking Twitter that I found out that was a mistake (a foul on a 3 and then a foul with 2 seconds left and turnovers by the Hawks created this gut-wrenching 3rd OT.
I thought for sure Monmouth would lose after that.
Amazingly Monmouth went up 97-95 and Siena hit a shot with 5 seconds left to tie it AGAIN and go to a 4th OT.
And guess what? A Siena player thought Monmouth was leading and fouled a Monmouth player who promptly sank 2 FTs (and then 2 more) and won the game for them 93-89.
Click the video here if you'd like to see how dispiriting this loss was:
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400991199
So that is the angle: In lost season with nothing left to play for in a game that allowed a miracle to let you back in it, you lost it...intentionally.
And now you have to come out two days later and play a Fairfield team that needs a win chase Manhattan for 5th in the conference.
Fairfield plays NO D. BUT they have a stud in Tyler Nelson who is the all-time leading Stags scorer and he'll most certainly extend on that record against Siena.
Siena is a poor defensive team and offensive team. Fairfield can score in bunches and run away with it.
I love the line at -2 Fairfield as in think the Siena Saint gas tank is on empty after last game. And the Stags have something to play for.
Fairfield -2 over Siena
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