Siena Basketball: McNamara on the Brink of NCAA Tournament Return

Siena Basketball: McNamara One Win Away from NCAA Tournament Return

Former Bishop Hannan and Syracuse Orange legend Gerry McNamara is on the cusp of leading the Siena Saints back to the NCAA Tournament – this time as a head coach. The Siena Saints (22-11) face a tough challenge against top-seeded Merrimack (23-10) in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament championship game on Tuesday in Atlantic City, N.J. A victory secures an automatic berth in the prestigious NCAA Tournament.

Saints Dominate in Semifinal Victory

On Sunday, Siena reached its first MAAC semifinal in seven years, delivering a commanding performance against No. 7 Fairfield with a 76-61 victory. The Saints were led by a stellar showing from Holy Redeemer graduate Justice Shoats, who poured in a season-high 26 points. Gavin Doty also contributed significantly with 25 points.

Shoats was incredibly efficient, shooting 8 of 15 from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, and converting 7 of 11 free throws. Doty added 6 of 11 field goals (3 of 4 from three-point range) and a near-perfect 10 of 11 from the free-throw line, along with eight rebounds. Francis Folefac rounded out the strong performance with 10 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.

Season Series Against Merrimack

This will be the third meeting between Siena and Merrimack this season. Unfortunately for the Saints, the Warriors have won both previous encounters: 63-59 on January 9th at Siena and 79-72 in overtime on February 21st at Merrimack.

Key Players to Watch

Merrimack is spearheaded by Kevlar Kennedy, who averages an impressive 18.5 points per game. For Siena, Gavin Doty leads the scoring with 17.7 points and seven rebounds per game, while Justice Shoats averages 13.3 points and is the team’s assist and steal leader with 146 assists and 48 steals, respectively.

McNamara’s Journey

McNamara, 42, is in his second season as head coach of the Saints, following a distinguished 15-year tenure at Syracuse. He began his career with the Orange as a graduate assistant in 2009, progressing to a full-time assistant in 2011, and ultimately becoming associate head coach in 2023 under Adrian Autry, succeeding the legendary Jim Boeheim.

McNamara’s legacy at Syracuse is undeniable. He holds the program records for 3-point goals (400), free-throw percentage (.888), and minutes played (4,799). He also ranks highly in steals (258), assists (648), scoring (2,099), and free throws made (435). A four-year starter (2002-2006), McNamara led the Orange to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, including a National Championship in 2003.

Before his success at Syracuse, McNamara excelled at Bishop Hannan, earning Pennsylvania Player of the Year honors twice (2001, 2002). He finished his high school career as the seventh all-time leading scorer in state history with 2,917 points, leading the Lancers to the 2002 PIAA Class 2A championship.

The game is set to tip off at 9 p.m. and promises to be a thrilling contest. Will McNamara lead the Siena Saints to the NCAA Tournament? Tune in to find out!