ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Gavin Doty scored 23 points, Brendan Coyle and Riley Mulvey posted double-doubles and Siena clinched an NCAA Tournament berth by beating Merrimack, 64-54, in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Championship game Tuesday night.
Led by second-year head coach Gerry McNamara, the former Bishop Hannan and Syracuse Orange legend, the Saints (23-11) are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
After his playing career ended, McNamara spent 15 years at Syracuse, starting as a graduate assistant in 2009, before being promoted to full-time assistant in 2011, then associate head coach in 2023, following the hiring of Adrian Autry to replace Jim Boeheim.
McNamara, who had his jersey number retired by Syracuse on March 4, 2023, is Syracuse’s all-time leader in 3-point field goals (400), free-throw percentage (.888) and minutes (4,799), and helped lead the Orange to the National Championship as a freshman in 2003.
“I’ve been around so many wonderful people, to go to a place like Syracuse and to learn with coach (Boeheim), and for him to bring me back and kind of get my feet wet in this industry … I fell in love with the developmental process,” McNamara, 42, told ESPN in a courtside interview after the game. “That’s kind of how I still coach. It’s been a long journey … I’ve had some great mentors, great people in my life who have helped me along this path.
“I’ve got my own thing now, my own culture and they helped me create it. This is what you get when you create something special.”
Doty scored 18 points after halftime, Mulvey scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Coyle scored 11 and grabbed 10 rebounds. Francis Folefac added 10 points on a night both teams struggled shooting.
Siena shot 38% (21 of 55) compared to 29% (17 of 58) for Merrimack (23-11).
Folefac and Mulvey each played 40 minutes with Coyle, Doty and Holy Redeemer graduate Justice Shoats playing 38 minutes. Christian Jones was the only reserve McNamara used off the bench.
Ernest Shelton scored 17 points, Kevair Kennedy scored 15 points and Todd Brogna 12 for the Warriors.
Siena built a 24-9 lead in the first 10½ minutes before the Warriors responded by outscoring Siena, 21-9, over the back end of the first half and drew within 33-30 at intermission.
The Saints emerged from the break with a 12-0 run to extend the lead to 45-30. Merrimack regrouped and got back in it, outscoring Siena, 17-6.
But after Merrimack’s Kennedy made two foul shots to get within 51-47, Doty scored Siena’s next six points and the Saints created safe space from there.