ALBANY, N.Y. (Interstat) — Siena used a dominant second quarter and a balanced scoring effort to hold off a third-quarter surge from Mount Saint Mary’s, securing a 69-59 victory in a nonconference women’s basketball game Thursday at Times Union Center.

The Saints improved to 5-7 overall, while the Mountaineers fell to 6-7.

The game’s decisive stretch came in the second period. After a tightly contested first quarter that ended with Siena leading 19-18, the Saints seized control with a 21-12 advantage in the second. Genevive Wedemeyer, who finished with 16 points and four assists, ignited the run with a 3-pointer early in the quarter. Siena’s defense tightened, forcing several Mountaineer turnovers and converting them into transition opportunities. The Saints closed the half on a 9-2 run, capped by a Nicole Melious 3-pointer with 29 seconds remaining, to take a 40-30 lead into halftime.

Mount Saint Mary’s mounted a significant challenge after the break, outscoring Siena 22-14 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to just two points. Gabrielle Kennerly, who led all scorers with 18 points, was instrumental in the rally, attacking the basket and drawing fouls. The Mountaineers’ defense also intensified, holding Siena to just five field goals in the quarter. A layup by Lenora Nkangwen with 32 seconds left in the period brought the Mountaineers within 54-52, setting up a tense final frame.

However, Siena regrouped in the fourth quarter, reclaiming command with a 15-7 scoring edge. The Saints’ backcourt of Wedemeyer and Francesca Schiro, who added 14 points and three assists, managed the game effectively under pressure. After the Mountaineers missed several opportunities to tie or take the lead early in the fourth, Siena stretched its advantage back to eight points on a Jamariah Turner layup with 4:35 remaining. Mount Saint Mary’s offense stalled completely in the final minutes, managing only two field goals in the quarter as Siena closed the game at the free-throw line.

Beyond the key backcourt contributions, Siena received a strong performance from Melious, who scored 15 points, and a defensive presence from Kaiya Rain Tucker, who tallied 11 points, two blocks and multiple steals. The Saints, who came in with a 59.9% win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system, capitalized on Mount Saint Mary’s mistakes, scoring 13 points off turnovers.

For the Mountaineers, Kennerly’s 18 points led the way, with support from Kayla Lindsey and Alana Powell, who each scored 10 points. Mount Saint Mary’s won the battle in the paint, 26-18, but was ultimately undone by its fourth-quarter scoring drought and Siena’s superior efficiency in the middle quarters.

The game was the final nonconference tune-up for both teams before league play resumes. An announced crowd of 405 watched the New Year’s Day matchup.

Siena will look to build on the win when it travels to face Iona on Saturday. Mount Saint Mary’s returns home to begin a stretch of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games, hosting Quinnipiac next Thursday.