Siena’s Upset DNA: A 1989 Memory From an Albany High Classroom

Siena Stuns Stanford in 1989

Siena basketball has always had a little “spoiler” in its DNA — and I’ll never forget the first time I saw it happen.

Back in 1989, I was a sophomore at Albany High, sitting in Mrs. Palumbo’s biology class… probably half-paying attention to something about frog intestines. Then everything changed.

Bio Teacher Let Us Watch

Word started spreading that Siena, a 14 seed, was hanging with Stanford, a powerhouse #3 seed ranked 13th in the country.

Next thing you know, Mrs. Palumbo, who I always thought was a bit of a bore, turned on the TV when she learned that Siena was hanging tough. Instant legend.
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Siena stunned Stanford 80-78, and for a few minutes, that classroom wasn’t about biology — it was about belief. About the little guy knocking off a giant. About a local team making national noise.

To this day, I couldn’t tell you what we learned in class that afternoon… but I’ll always remember names like Marc Brown, Jeff Robinson, and Tommy Huerter.

Another Tall Task for the Siena Saints

Fast forward to today, and Siena is back in that familiar underdog role. The #16 seed Saints take on the #1 overall seed Duke this afternoon at 2:50 on CBS 6 Albany.

Win or lose, moments like this have a way of bringing the entire Capital Region together — and chances are, you’ll remember exactly where you were watching.