Owen Wignot made the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime and Siena held on to defeat Manhattan 68-66 in the first round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament Friday night.
Clarence Jackson led the seventh-seeded Saints (13-17) with 24 points and Ryan Rossiter added 17 points and 14 rebounds. Siena will play No. 2-seeded Iona in the quarterfinals.
The Jaspers (6-25) took a 66-65 lead on George Beamon's free throws with 2:17 left. Wignot answered with his 3-pointer with 1:28 left and then Siena stiffened on defense. OD Anosike blocked Kidani Brutus' layup try at 1:08. Rossiter blocked Michael Alvarado's jumper with 49 seconds left.
Brutus' 16 points led Manhattan. Beamon had 14, but missed a desperation 3-pointer at the end. Demetrius Jackson contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds and the Jaspers rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to force the extra period.
