Full Slate Of MAAC Hoops Set For Weekend
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. -- With the exam period for Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schools behind them, MAAC men’s basketball comes to the forefront this weekend with 12 non-conference games.
The action-packed weekend begins tonight when Marist plays host to Bucknell at 7:00 p.m., and concludes on Monday night when Siena hosts Hofstra at 7:00. MAAC teams will then take a brief hiatus over the Christmas holiday before returning to action on Saturday, Dec. 28.
This weekend, there is plenty of hoops to look forward to. Manhattan, now 8-2 overall and coming off a convincing 86-68 victory at South Carolina on Tuesday, will face Buffalo at Brooklyn’s Barclay Center on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 3:00 p.m. Senior George Beamon is scoring at a 21.2 clip, third best in the MAAC.
Canisius, now 7-4 and winners of four of its last five outings, will play host to Lamar on Saturday, with a 4:15 p.m. tip. Senior guard Billy Baron is coming off of a 31-point effort in the Golden Griffins’ win at Holy Cross and is fourth in the MAAC in scoring (20.4) and third in assists (4.5).
Rider (5-4) will take a three-game win streak to Villanova on Saturday, 4 p.m. in a nationally televised game on Fox Sports 1. Four of the Broncs’ five starters are averaging in double figures, led by senior guard Anthony Myles at 18.8 points per game, and forward Daniel Stewart at 16.9 points per outing.
Monmouth had won two straight and four of its last six, and looks to even its record at 6-6 when it hosts Fordham on Saturday at 2 p.m. The youthful Hawks have been getting steady scoring from juniors Deon Jones (17.6) and Drew Nicholas (14.5).
A young Fairfield squad is coming off of a solid 64-60 win over Northeastern and looks to continue its improvement when it visits Wisconsin-Green Bay on Saturday at 2 p.m. Sophomore forward Marcus Gilbert is averaging 14.8 points per game for the Stags.
Niagara has won two straight, including an impressive 83-72 win over Davidson last Wednesday. The Purple Eagles look to extend their streak when they host Saint Bonaventure on Saturday at 5 p.m. Antoine Mason not only leads the MAAC, but is the top scorer in the NCAA Division I, with 28.6 points per game.
Quinnipiac boasts three of the top five rebounders in the MAAC in Ike Azotam (11.0), Zaid Hearst (9.6) and Ousmane Drame (7.8). The Bobcats, who have won two of their last three, will visit Lehigh on Saturday night with a 7 p.m. tip time. Azotam, who averages 16.1 points per game, has six double-doubles to lead the MAAC.
Saint Peter’s is coming off a thrilling 83-80 OT win over in-state rival Seton Hall, and will visit Hartford on Sunday, Dec. 22, with a 2 p.m. tip. Junior transfer Marvin Dominique has been a leader up front, averaging 18.9 points and 9.4 rebounds for the Peacocks, while guard Desi Washington is the reigning MAAC Player of the Week. It was Washington’s three-pointer with 3.3 seconds left in OT that gave Saint Peter’s the margin of victory over the Pirates.
High scoring Iona continues its road trip when it travels to Reno, Nev., on Sunday to face Nevada at 4:05 p.m. The Gaels, who have lost two consecutive for just the first time this year, average a league-best 81 points per game, led by senior Sean Armand who is second in the MAAC with 22.8 points per game, and a league best 3.4 three-point field goals per game.
After playing eight of their first 10 games away from home, Marist will play a pair of contests at the McCann Center on Friday night and Sunday afternoon. The Red Foxes are coming off a dramatic 69-62 victory at the College of Charleston in their last outing, the first win for first-year head coach Jeff Bower at Marist. The Red Foxes will host Bucknell on Friday, Dec. 20 at 7:00 p.m., and Penn on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Junior Chavaugn Lewis is the MAAC’s ninth leading scorer at 16.8 points per game.
Siena, which has been off since Dec. 8, will resume action on Monday, Dec. 23 when it hosts Hofstra at the Times Union Center at 7 p.m. The Saints last played at home on Nov. 9, but will enjoy a string of five of their next six at home. Saints freshman guard Marquis Wright leads the MAAC, and is 22nd nationally, with 6.2 assists per game. Sophomore forward Brett Bisping has emerged up front. The 6-8 Bisping already has more points this season (83) through 11 games then he did in the entire 2012-13 campaign.