College Basketball is BACK

11/25/2020 10:00:00 AM

EDISON, N.J. (Nov. 25, 2020) – The college basketball season tips off today with games taking place around the country. After a long hiatus, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) basketball returns to the forefront with nine total games taking place across both the men’s and women’s sides.

MAAC action kicks off at 11:00 a.m. as the Monmouth University Hawks women’s basketball team travels upstate to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Monmouth will face the Scarlet Knights for the first time since 1986, when Rutgers pulled out an 81-67 victory. The Hawks’ men’s program will stay in West Long Branch to take on Hofstra at 7:00 p.m.

The Hawks are followed by the Quinnipiac University women’s team taking home court at 1:00 p.m. against Providence. The People’s United Center in Hamden will play host to two games on college basketball’s opening day, with the Quinnipiac men’s team taking on Fairleigh Dickinson at 4:30 p.m. Fairleigh Dickinson was selected first in the NEC Preseason Poll, the Bobcats were selected seventh in the MAAC Preseason Poll.

The Fairfield University men’s team is in action on opening day with a tip time at 2:00 p.m. The Stags are set to travel to Big East foe Providence, with the game televised live on FS1. The Fairfield women’s team, originally scheduled to play today, had their game cancelled due to an inconclusive COVID-19 test in the Sacred Heart travel party.

Rider University women’s basketball announced yesterday a late addition to their non-conference schedule and will now take on Villanova at 3:00 p.m. at Finneran Pavilion in Pennsylvania. The Broncs were named MAAC Regular Season Co-Champions last year, sharing the honor with Marist College, and were awarded the No. 1 seed in the Hercules Tires MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship.

The Manhattan College women’s team, ranked No. 1 in the MAAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, begins their season home at Draddy Gymnasium. The Jaspers take on Fairleigh Dickinson at 6:00 p.m., led by Preseason All-MAAC First Team selections Courtney Warley and Emily LaPointe.

Opening day will be closed out by two contests featuring Saint Peter’s University at 7:00 p.m. The women’s team takes on NJIT while the men’s team battles St. John’s. The game against St. John’s will be a rematch from one year ago, where the Red Storm got the better part of the Peacocks in a close game, 79-69. The game will be broadcast live on FS2.

For a full list of game times and watch links, see below. Stay up to date with all MAAC basketball by visiting MAACSports.com/basketball and by following @MAACHoops and #MAACHoops on Twitter.

Men’s Games
Fairfield at Providence – 2 p.m. (Watch – FS1)
Quinnipiac vs. Fairleigh Dickinson – 4:30 p.m. (Watch – ESPN+)
Monmouth vs. Hofstra – 7 p.m. (Watch – ESPN+)
Saint Peter’s at St. John’s – 7 p.m. (Watch – FS2)

Women’s Games
Monmouth at Rutgers – 11 a.m. (Watch - BTN)
Quinnipiac vs. Providence – 1 p.m. (Watch – ESPN+)
Rider at Villanova – 3 p.m. (Watch – Nova Nation All-Access)
Manhattan vs. Fairleigh Dickinson – 6 p.m. (Watch – ESPN+)
Saint Peter’s vs. NJIT – 7 p.m. (Watch – Peacocks Digital Network)

About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) celebrates its 40^th year of competition during the 2020-21 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.