Pickett has 19 to help Siena hold off George Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jalen Pickett scored 19 points and Kevin Degnan added 15 as Siena held off George Washington to give coach Jamion Christian his first win, a 69-61 victory on Thursday night.

Picket nailed 4 of 9 from long range and added 5 of 6 from the free throw line while dishing out six assists. Degnan drilled 5 of 6 from deep and grabbed eight rebounds.

Siena (1-1) led 39-32 at the break. George Washington, which lost to Stony Brook 77-74 in overtime on Tuesday, stayed close throughout the second half and closed to 62-61 following an Arnaldo Toro tipin with 1:32 left. Degnan answered with his last trey of the night and Manny Camper added a layup for a 67-61 advantage in the final seconds.

Justin Mazzulla led George Washington (0-2) with 18 points and eight rebounds. Terry Nolan Jr. added 17 points while grabbing nine boards.