While Saint Peter?s has fallen precipitously since winning the MAAC title last year, Siena knows it can expect the same type of game when the Peacocks come in to Times Union Center on Friday night.
Head coach John Dunne preaches a halfcourt, punishing style regardless of personnel, and it was good enough to beat Siena 51-44 on Dec. 1 in Jersey City, where the Saints matched their fewest points of the season.
?Dunne?s going to come and and play ugly,? Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro said. ?That?s been his style at Saint Peter?s. We have to make sure we take care of business at home. It?s not going to be an easy game.?
With all five starters gone from last year?s team, Saint Peter?s has plummeted to 4-18 overall, 3-8 in the MAAC. Besides beating Siena, the Peacocks have a season sweep of Canisius.
Also, Saint Peter?s has lost 6-7 junior forward Karee Ferguson (ruptured Achilles) and 6-9 senior forward Jack Hill (torn shoulder ligament) to season-ending injuries.
?We weren?t exactly lighting it up when we had them,? Dunne said. ?It never helps when you have injuries.?
With Ferguson out, the Peacocks have gone to a four-out, one-in offense that surrounds 6-7 junior forward Darius Conley (11.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg) with four perimeter players.
Still, the Peacocks rank last in the MAAC in points per game (59.5) and second-to-last in field goal percentage (.402).
?They?re a challenged team,? Buonaguro said. ?They?re got injuries, they?ve got youth. John Dunne like to coach a halfcourt game, an ugly game, which they?re trying to do with non-scorers. It?s a little bit what we?re going through. When you have a team that?s challenged, the thing you?d normally do that work, sometimes don?t work. You just don?t make the shots.
?You look at this team, and what?s the difference (from last year),? Buonaguro added. ?He?s playing the same way. He doesn?t have the players. It?s not John Dunne. He doesn?t have those guys back ? guys who were all-league caliber players.?
Siena senior guard Kyle Downey thinks the Saints (10-11, 5-6) have improved since that early loss to the Peacocks. He pointed out senior forward Owen Wignot missed that game with a head injury.
?I think we just need to play how we?ve been playing,? Downey said. ?That game, our effort was not there. We?re a much different team. We didn?t have Owen last time. We know our plays. We know how to play zone better. I just think the growth and maturity that we?ve been through the past two months since that game is going to help.?
Although Dunne said Saint Peter?s doesn?t double-team much, Siena junior forward O.D. Anosike said he?s prepared for that tactic as he goes for his 18th straight double-double.
?They?re a physical team,? Anosike said. ?They play really good defense, so I guess they?re going to key in on me. I guess my job is to take up a double-team and try to find my open teammates.?
Head coach John Dunne preaches a halfcourt, punishing style regardless of personnel, and it was good enough to beat Siena 51-44 on Dec. 1 in Jersey City, where the Saints matched their fewest points of the season.
?Dunne?s going to come and and play ugly,? Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro said. ?That?s been his style at Saint Peter?s. We have to make sure we take care of business at home. It?s not going to be an easy game.?
With all five starters gone from last year?s team, Saint Peter?s has plummeted to 4-18 overall, 3-8 in the MAAC. Besides beating Siena, the Peacocks have a season sweep of Canisius.
Also, Saint Peter?s has lost 6-7 junior forward Karee Ferguson (ruptured Achilles) and 6-9 senior forward Jack Hill (torn shoulder ligament) to season-ending injuries.
?We weren?t exactly lighting it up when we had them,? Dunne said. ?It never helps when you have injuries.?
With Ferguson out, the Peacocks have gone to a four-out, one-in offense that surrounds 6-7 junior forward Darius Conley (11.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg) with four perimeter players.
Still, the Peacocks rank last in the MAAC in points per game (59.5) and second-to-last in field goal percentage (.402).
?They?re a challenged team,? Buonaguro said. ?They?re got injuries, they?ve got youth. John Dunne like to coach a halfcourt game, an ugly game, which they?re trying to do with non-scorers. It?s a little bit what we?re going through. When you have a team that?s challenged, the thing you?d normally do that work, sometimes don?t work. You just don?t make the shots.
?You look at this team, and what?s the difference (from last year),? Buonaguro added. ?He?s playing the same way. He doesn?t have the players. It?s not John Dunne. He doesn?t have those guys back ? guys who were all-league caliber players.?
Siena senior guard Kyle Downey thinks the Saints (10-11, 5-6) have improved since that early loss to the Peacocks. He pointed out senior forward Owen Wignot missed that game with a head injury.
?I think we just need to play how we?ve been playing,? Downey said. ?That game, our effort was not there. We?re a much different team. We didn?t have Owen last time. We know our plays. We know how to play zone better. I just think the growth and maturity that we?ve been through the past two months since that game is going to help.?
Although Dunne said Saint Peter?s doesn?t double-team much, Siena junior forward O.D. Anosike said he?s prepared for that tactic as he goes for his 18th straight double-double.
?They?re a physical team,? Anosike said. ?They play really good defense, so I guess they?re going to key in on me. I guess my job is to take up a double-team and try to find my open teammates.?
