ALBANY, N.Y. (Interstat) — Siena cruised to an 83-54 victory over Niagara in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Friday night at Times Union Center. The Saints built a commanding 46-21 halftime lead and never looked back, improving to 8-2 overall. The Purple Eagles dropped to 2-6. Siena, a 14-point pregame favorite, easily covered the spread as the total score went under the line of 131.5. An announced crowd of 4,259 watched the conference opener for both teams. Niagara next plays at Saint Peter’s on Sunday, while Siena hosts Canisius.