Snubbed in Handshake Line, Siena Coach Shakes Hands with Air after Debacle with Rider

Siena and Rider engaged in some hot Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action on Tuesday, screwing up the shot clock, getting into a punches-thrown fight, and failing to execute a simple handshake line, resulting in Siena coach Jimmy Patsos punctuating the whole thing by shaking hands with air after the game.

This whole fiasco, which was hosted by Siena at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, began with a 35-second shot clock. You’ll recall that college basketball employs a 30-second shot clock these days.

Then with two minutes left, there was a straight-up fight.

The coaches then got into it, and before that was all over two players were ejected and both coaches were assessed technical fouls.

With 10 seconds left, Rider coach Kevin Bagget called timeout, and when the final horn went off, Siena found itself alone in the handshake line, and leaving with a 78-68 win.

Patsos later said he was just glad nobody got hurt.