Albany-Siena 1977

[Guest Guest_Archives]

First printed in the Albany Times Union February 4, 1977

State Gets Last Laugh at Siena

Danes 62-49 victors in final meeting

By BILL HELLER

Even the Albany State players, the same ones who had just beaten Siena College, 62-49 on Siena's court, had trouble accepting victory in the final meeting between the two schools Thursday night before a noisy crowd of 2,994.

Senior guard Gary Trevett pranced around the State lockerroom yelling, "We beat'em here. We beat'em here." State coach Dick Sauers was presented with a bottle of vodka someone had kept from State's trip to Poland in May and the net someone had cut off.

Wearing the net around his neck, he yelled out a Polish salute that his players echoed then took one gulp and passed the bottle to an assistant.

Sauers at first refused to talk to reporters, saying "Talk to my players. they did it." Later he recanted and called the game "very satisfying" adding "That's all I can say."

Siena, in its first year of Division I, will not continue the series with Division III State next year. The records will show that Siena won 20 of the 37 games, but for the first time since it moved into the Alumni Recreation Center three years ago, Siena lost to a Division III team at home.

"We didn't play," Siena coach Bill Kirsch said. "Anybody can beat you when you don't play. They played a good ballgame. We didn't, that's it."

From a gift two-point beginning to the end, State outplayed Siena with intelligent, deliberate offense, better rebounding and an outstanding defensive game to win its third strait and go 11-6 on the year. Siena, 6-11, never got a chance to start its high-powered offense.

[Oldtimer]

Interesting that between 1955-56 and 1976-77 that Albany and Siena played 37 times. Probably 21 regular season and 16 Capital District Tournaments. That many games created a great rivalry. Siena made the right decision to terminate it at the time and the right decision in reviving it in 2001 when UAlbany went D-1. As soon as Albany defeats Siena on Nov. 21, 2003, the rivalry will be re-newed and the students will show up at games.

[Guest alumni '92']

... old timer ... i'm glad there are others out there who know the secret formula for truely "establishing" our DI basketball program ... we came close the last two years ... i hope we don't have to wait for 2004 when our talent matches theirs on paper ... can't wait for 11/21

[statefan]

Dear Coach Mullen,

Tomorrow is important.

Edited December 6, 2019 by statefan

[UAalum72]

Good sign the aints are moving in the right direction- OP said the crowd was 2,994 in 1977, today’s TU says capacity at the ARC is only 2,148

[jimbo]

Could you imagine a coach passing a bottle of vodka around a college locker room in 2019? Ahhhh...the good old days. 

[jimbo]

On 12/7/2019 at 5:37 AM, jimbo said:

Could you imagine a coach passing a bottle of vodka around a college locker room in 2019? Ahhhh...the good old days. 

After rereading this it appears the bottle was passed to an assistant....I doubt any players took a swig......was the Rathskeller still at the Student Center in '77? Sure was when I was there. Maximus Super...remember it well....

[nysteve661]

5 minutes ago, jimbo said:

After rereading this it appears the bottle was passed to an assistant....I doubt any players took a swig......was the Rathskeller still at the Student Center in '77? Sure was when I was there. Maximus Super...remember it well....

Sure was from 79 to 83 cause they got alot of my money, lol.  Then after that it turned into a juice bar type of place because the drinking age went to 21 limiting the alcohol consumption to mostly just seniors.

[Eli]

@Dane Pound, see above.

[cwdickens]

9 hours ago, Eli said:

@Dane Pound, see above.

I was thinking along the same lines when I saw this posting....