University of Albany Men’s Basketball Easily Defeats Cross-City Rival Siena Taking Home Albany Cup - UAlbany Sports 2012

Albany, N.Y. - In a battle for the Albany Cup, senior guards Mike Black and Jacob Iati paced UAlbany with 13 points a piece to defeat Siena, 69-56, on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the Times Union Center. UAlbany's 6-2 record through the first eight games is the best start to a season since entering Division 1. "I thought we were the tougher team tonight," UAlbany head coach Will Brown said. "Last year (in a 64-60 loss to Siena) we got punked in the second half, and we weren't going to let the happen again." The Great Danes two senior guards, Black and Iati, each scored a team-high13 points with three and two rebounds, respectively. Junior center John Puk tallied nine points and eight rebounds, shooting a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. UAlbany was able to hold senior center O.D Anosike under double-digit points and rebounds for the first time all season, with eight points and seven rebounds. Rob Poole led Siena with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the floor. A true back-and-forth battle in the first half between both teams in the first half. Siena and UAlbany traded leads eight different times through 14 minutes. The Great Danes then took hold of the lead with an 8-2 run to end the half and grab a six-point lead, 30-24. UAlbany did not take its foot of the gas in the second half, never giving the lead back to Siena the entire second half. The Saints' Poole brought the game within three points, 35-32, with 16:26 remaining in the game. However, the Great Danes took control of the final 16 minutes of play. UAlbany extended the lead to as much as 13 for the final 48 seconds and finished with a 69-56 score. UAlbany out rebounded Siena, 33-26. The Great Danes were almost automatic from the free-throw line, shooting 21-24 at the charity stripe. Big men Blake Metcalf and Puk shot a perfect 9-of-9 from the line. The Great Danes look to extend their three-game winning streak at home against St. Francis (N.Y.) on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at SEFCU Arena. Tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.