March 16, 2008

The Siena men's basketball team will square off with Vanderbilt University of the SEC in the First Round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament Friday night at 7:20 p.m. at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. The Saints received the #13 seed in the Midwest Region. Vanderbilt is the #4 seed.

It will be Siena's fourth NCAA appearance in school history and first since 2002. As a #14 seed in 1989, Siena defeated #3 seed Stanford in a First Round game in Greensboro, N.C. Siena also advanced to the 1999 and 2002 NCAA Tournament, falling in the First Round each time. In 2002 Siena picked up another NCAA win, defeating Alcorn State in the Opening Round in Dayton, Ohio before losing to eventual National Champion Maryland at the MCI Center in Washington.

Siena earned an automatic bid to the Field of 65 by virtue of its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship secured Monday night with a 74-53 win over Rider at Times Union center in Albany.

The 22-10 Saints have three players averaging 15 points or more and just one senior on their 13-man roster.

The selection marks the third overall for the Vanderbilt under ninth-year head coach Kevin Stallings. The Commodores are coming off a Sweet 16 showing last year as a No. 6 seed with victories over George Washington (77-44) and Washington State (78-74 2OT) in the East Regional in Sacramento, Calif. In 2004, the Commodores also reached the Sweet 16 as a sixth-seed in the Phoenix Regional, defeating Western Michigan (71-58) and N.C. State (75-73).

Friday's Vanderbilt-Siena winner will battle the victor of the Clemson-Villanova contest on Sunday, March 23.