Preview: Siena Saints at Niagara Purple Eagles SANBORN, N.Y. (Interstat) — Two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Friday when the Siena Saints visit the Niagara Purple Eagles at Gallagher Center. Both programs enter the non-conference matchup carrying lengthy losing streaks, though Siena (2-7) snapped a seven-game skid with a dominant 94-56 victory over Central Connecticut on Monday. Niagara (0-9) remains in search of its first win after a 52-84 loss at Cleveland State on Dec. 13. The Saints’ offense erupted in their latest win, led by sophomore guard Francesca Schiro. She scored 22 points and dished out eight assists in 28 minutes. Over her last four games, Schiro is averaging 14.3 points and 3.5 assists, establishing herself as Siena’s primary playmaker. She was complemented by Nicole Melious (15 points, 5 assists) and Genevive Wedemeyer (10 points) in the rout. Niagara’s struggles have been pronounced, losing by an average margin of 31.2 points during its winless start. A bright spot has been the recent play of guard Kenedie Haruna, who scored a team-high 13 points off the bench against Cleveland State. In her last three appearances, the freshman has averaged 8.7 points in just 12 minutes per game. The Purple Eagles’ schedule has been unforgiving, featuring road losses to power-conference foe Virginia Tech and a historically lopsided 32-130 defeat at Ohio State. They have not scored more than 58 points in a game this season. Siena’s early schedule also presented challenges, with narrow road losses to Cornell (49-47) and Rutgers (67-61) highlighting their competitive potential before the breakthrough win. Friday’s contest represents a final tune-up before MAAC play intensifies in January. For Niagara, it is one of the last chances to secure a non-conference victory. For Siena, it is an opportunity to build a winning streak and confidence away from home. The Saints won both meetings last season. These teams will meet again in MAAC action on Jan. 29 in Loudonville. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.