Siena to Face UMass in Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase
The Siena men's basketball team has added another non-conference opponent to its schedule for the 2011-12 season, as the Saints will take on UMass out of the Atlantic-10 Conference.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has partnered with the University of Massachusetts, American International College (AIC) and Springfield College to host the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase at the MassMutual Center on Friday, December 9.
The tripleheader will include featured match-ups from all three NCAA Divisions, highlighted by the UMass-Siena contest in the final game.
“We are excited to work in conjunction with three of our neighbor institutions to develop a great celebration of college basketball for Western Massachusetts,” said John L. Doleva, President & CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “The Hall of Fame hopes that the Holiday Showcase becomes an annual mainstay in our basketball community.”
The Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase will tip-off with Division III schools Springfield College and Trinity College at 4:00 pm, followed by a Division II showdown between AIC and Philadelphia University at 6:00 pm. Philadelphia is coached by Herb Magee, the all-time NCAA wins leader at any level and who is also being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this August. UMass will then battle Siena in the nightcap at 8:00 pm.
The Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase also introduces Siena to Springfield. The MassMutual Center and the Basketball Hall of Fame will co-host the MAAC Basketball Championships for three years, beginning in March 2012.
Tickets will be priced at $20 and $10. Tickets will be good for all three games and will go on-sale shortly via the MassMutual Center Box Office and Ticketmaster outlets.