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Siena downs Fresno State in CBI final

Apr 5, 2014 - 6:38 PM Loudonville, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Rob Poole scored 23 points and Brett Bisping added 20 to lead Siena to an 81-68 victory over Fresno State in the third and deciding game of the College Basketball Invitational Tournament.

Marquis Wright contributed 12 points for the Saints (20-18), who bounced back from Wednesday's 89-75 home loss to the Bulldogs in Game 2. Siena won Monday's opener in Fresno by a 61-57 count.

Tyler Johnson racked up 20 points and 10 rebounds for Fresno State (21-18), but the Bulldogs shot just 30 percent from the field and never recovered from an 11-0 run the Saints put together midway through the first half. Cezar Guerrero and Allen Huddleston finished with 17 and 14 points, respectively, in defeat.

Bisping had four points and Poole four during the aforementioned surge, which staked Siena to a 24-11 lead with under 8 1/2 minutes to go in the half. The Saints later closed out the period on an 8-1 stretch to take a commanding 39-22 advantage at the break.

Siena continued to lead comfortably all throughout the second half, though the Bulldogs managed to pull within 74-65 with 1:30 left behind an 8-2 run in which Huddleston netted six points. However, Poole hit two free throws on each of the Saints' next two possessions to prevent a comeback.

Poole ended 12-of-16 from the foul line and Wright made 8-of-10 free throw attempts. Siena also ended with a 46-34 rebounding advantage, with Bisping pulling down nine boards that included six on the offensive end.