Halftime Report

Holy Cross has overcome an early deficit to take the lead back in this one. They have jumped out to a quick 27-23 lead against Siena.

Holy Cross came into the matchup with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

Who's Playing

Holy Cross Crusaders @ Siena Saints

Current Records: Holy Cross 6-5, Siena 5-6

How To Watch

What to Know

The Holy Cross Crusaders and the Siena Saints will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday at MVP Arena. The Crusaders pulled off an upset win in their last outing, and are hoping to pull that off once more against the 5.5-point favorite Saints.

If Siena heads into halftime all tied up, they better play a good second half: that's when Holy Cross took over last week. Holy Cross pulled ahead with a 70-69 photo finish over Quinnipiac on Tuesday.

Holy Cross got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Kahlil Singleton out in front who went 6 for 7 from beyond the arc en route to 20 points. Those six threes gave Singleton a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Joe Nugent, who went 6 for 11 en route to 19 points.

Holy Cross was working as a unit and finished the game with 18 assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in three consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Siena entered their game against St. Bona. on Tuesday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. Siena lost to St. Bona. at home by a decisive 65-48 margin. The contest marked the Saints' lowest-scoring match so far this season.

Holy Cross now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Siena, they have been struggling recently as they've lost six of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-6 record this season.

Holy Cross couldn't quite finish off Siena when the teams last played back in November of 2023 and fell 73-71. Can Holy Cross avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.

Odds

Siena is a solid 5.5-point favorite against Holy Cross, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 5.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is 132.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Siena has won 5 out of their last 7 games against Holy Cross.

  • Nov 06, 2023 - Siena 73 vs. Holy Cross 71
  • Nov 07, 2022 - Siena 75 vs. Holy Cross 68
  • Dec 11, 2021 - Siena 72 vs. Holy Cross 59
  • Dec 29, 2019 - Siena 74 vs. Holy Cross 62
  • Dec 22, 2018 - Holy Cross 60 vs. Siena 57
  • Nov 18, 2018 - Holy Cross 57 vs. Siena 45
  • Dec 22, 2017 - Siena 71 vs. Holy Cross 65