Siena Basketball legends Tay Fisher ’08 and Melanie (Halker) Moore ’99 have been named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Hall of Fame Honor Roll Class of 2018. The duo will be enshrined in “The MAAC Experience” exhibit at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in a special ceremony set for Sept. 15 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Fisher forever cemented his spot in Siena Basketball history with a pair of legendary postseason performances during his senior season in 2008, when he captained the Saints to their first of three consecutive MAAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. He celebrated his 22nd birthday by coming off the bench to score a team-high 21 points fueled by a career-high tying six threes in Siena’s 74-53 MAAC Championship Game rout of Rider. Then in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, Fisher set a program postseason record by going a perfect 6-for-6 from three-point range while scoring 19 points in the 13th seeded Saints’ 83-62 blowout of No. 4 Vanderbilt.
Currently known more extensively by his professional nickname, “Firefly,” Fisher was drafted in 2008 by the Harlem Globetrotters, and has entertained fans around the world for nearly a decade.
A 2005 Siena Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Halker was a two-time MAAC Player of the Year (1998, 1999), and the only three-time First Team All-MAAC selection in program history (1997-99). The 1995-96 MAAC Rookie of the Year, she holds Siena’s all-time career records for both rebounds (1,122) and rebounds per game (10.0). Halker also set program single-season benchmarks for field goals made (263 in 1998-99), rebounds (341 in 1996-97), and rebounds per game (12.2 in 1996-97), and is the single-game record holder for rebounds with 24 vs. Canisius on Jan. 23, 1997.
Halker played professionally for two years in Luxembourg and Israel before beginning a highly decorated career as a Division I assistant coach.
A dinner event will be held on Sept. 15 at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Court of Dreams to recognize the Honor Roll inductees. Each honoree will also be profiled in the game program for the 2019 MAAC Basketball Championships, in addition to being featured in a video display at "The MAAC Experience."
Siena's MAAC Hall of Fame Honor Roll Honorees
- 2011 – Dinny Cahill '75 and Liz Lops `94
- 2012 – Bruce Schroeder '92 and Val (Higgins) O'Dell `92
- 2013 – Billy Harrell '52 and Lisa (Serafino) Ruggiero `94
- 2014 – Doug Poetzsch '85 and Lily Grenci ‘13
- 2015 – Fred Shear '73 and Kristin Bernert `96
- 2016 – Coach Paul Hewitt and Mary (Gaudreau) Messer `83
- 2017 – Marc Brown ’91 and Laura (Menty) Menges ’08
- 2018 – Tay Fisher ’08 and Melanie (Halker) Moore ‘99