2014 MAAC Men's Basketball Championship Underway March 6
MAAC Sports
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The 2014 MAAC Men’s Basketball Championships gets underway with three first-round games on Thursday, March 6.
The Championship begins at 5:00 p.m. when the No. 8 seed Rider (13-16, 9-11) takes on No. 9 seed Monmouth (11-20, 5-15) in a first round game. The Broncs swept the regular season series of the two New Jersey schools, winning at Monmouth on Dec. 8, 77-65, and then taking a 77-71 overtime decision on Jan. 26 at home. The winner of the No. 8 vs. N. 9 seed contest advances to the quarterfinal round and will take on top-seeded Iona (20-9, 17-3) on Saturday, March 8, at noon.
Tenth-seeded Fairfield (7-24, 4-16) takes on No. 7 seed Saint Peter’s (13-16, 9-11) in a first round game at 7:00 p.m. The Peacocks won both regular season games by a total of two points. Saint Peter’s won at Fairfield 56-55 on Jan. 8. On Feb. 25, the Peacocks edged Fairfield 63-62, in Jersey City. The winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 10 contest will take on second-seeded Manhattan (22-7, 15-5) on Saturday, March 8 at 6:30 p.m.
The final first round game on March 6 will pit No. 6 seed Marist (12-18, 9-11) against No. 11 seed Niagara (6-25, 3-17) at 9:00 p.m. The two teams split during the regular season, with each winning on their home courts. Niagara won the first meeting on Jan. 24, 80-74, on Jan. 24 at the Gallagher Center at Niagara. Marist won the second contest eight days later, 78-64, at the McCann Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The winner of the Marist-Niagara game plays No. 3 seed Quinnipiac (19-10, 14-6) at 9:00 p.m. on March 8.
The 2014 MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship continues on Saturday, March 8 with four quarterfinal round games beginning at noon. In the only quarterfinal game that does not play a first round survivor, No. 4 Canisius (20-11, 14-6) will face No. 5 Siena (15-16, 11-9) at 2:30 on Saturday, March 8.