SIENA PREVAILS IN BRACKETBUSTER OVERTIME

BOX SCORE ALBANY, N.Y. - Radford let an eight-point lead with under a minute to play in regulation slip into an overtime period Sunday, and Siena capitalized with a 65-57 win as part of the ESPN/Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters event.

Lucas Dyer gave Radford a 52-44 lead with 57 seconds to play in regulation after he hit a pair of free throws, but Siena rallied to force an extra session and took control in the overtime period.

Rob Poole scored for Siena to chop the lead to six and was fouled on the play. He converted the three-point play to make it a five-point game.

Rashun Davis missed the front end of a one-and-one and then was whistled for a foul that sent Poole back to the charity stripe. Poole split a pair of freebies with :44 remaining for the Saints, but an offensive rebound by O.D. Anosike and tip-in on a Poole miss cut the RU lead to just three with :31 to play.

Again, the Saints fouled and this time sent Brandon Holcomb to the line where he nailed both free throws. RU led 54-49 with :22 to play.

It was Poole, again, that hit another big shot, this time from behind the arc to cut the lead to 54-52.

Radford turned the ball over on a five-second in-bounds play and gave the ball back to the Saints. Poole missed a 15-footer to tie, but the ball went off Holcomb's hands and possession remained with Siena. A foul on the subsequent in-bounds play sent Anosike to the line.

A 52 percent shooter on the season, he made both and forced the game into overtime.

The Saint outscored the Highlanders 11-3 in the extra period.

"We were a little casual down the stretch," Jones said. "We didn't get the tough stops we needed in the final minute. We have to start getting that look of determination and belief that no matter what, we are going to get a rebound or make a play."

Radford trailed by six points in the first five minutes as Siena built a 9-3 lead. The Highlanders, however, found their stroke from deep hitting five three-pointers in the first half. A 12-0 run midway through the half fueled by back-to-back three-pointers from Ya Ya Anderson gave the Highlanders a 23-15 lead. Siena cut that lead to 25-23 by the intermission.

"We put ourselves in great position again to win a game," Radford head coach Mike Jones said. "But we have seen this play before. This is a tough one to let get away."

The second half saw Radford build the lead again, this time to as many as 10 points. RU led 50-40 with 5:48 to play in regulation after R.J. Price buried back-to-back three-point baskets. Price was the only Highlander in double figures with 18.

Price's three-pointer, however, would be the final field goal the Highlanders would hit in regulation and opened the door for Siena to stage its comeback.

The loss drops RU to 12-17 overall. It is Radford's second straight overtime loss. The Highlanders travel to High Point on Wednesday when they return for the final week of Big South regular season action.

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