MAAC Hoops Begins Conference Play for 2020-21 Season
MAAC Hoops Begins Conference Play for 2020-21 Season

MAAC Hoops Begins Conference Play for 2020-21 Season

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EDISON, N.J. (Dec. 11, 2020) – Conference action for Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) basketball is set to begin tonight with eight games scheduled for tip – four men’s contests and four women’s contests.
 
MAAC action begins at 5:00 p.m. on the women’s side with Iona College (0-2) traveling to face Monmouth University (0-3). Women’s action wraps up with a tripleheader at 7:00 p.m. featuring preseason favorites Manhattan College (0-1) visiting Rider University (0-4), Marist College (1-0) hosting Canisius College (0-1), and Siena College (0-0) hosting Fairfield University (1-1) and Preseason Player of the Year Lou Lopez-Senechal.
 
Men’s action tips at 6:00 p.m. with the Manhattan Jaspers (0-0) hosting the Rider Broncs (0-2) at Draddy Gymnasium. Two games scheduled for 7:00 p.m. include the Iona Gaels (1-2) traveling to face the Fairfield Stags (0-4) and the Marist Red Foxes (2-0) making a trip to Western New York to take on the Canisius Golden Griffs (0-0). Men’s action concludes with an 8:00 p.m. tip time as Saint Peter’s (2-2) hosts Niagara University (0-1).
 
This year’s conference action will look different than in years past, with the MAAC recently announcing a new schedule format. The new schedules feature a Friday/Saturday playing arrangement at the same venue for both games, with 24 hours of spacing between the two contests. Tonight’s matchups will be seen again on Saturday, with all games scheduled for the same time.
 
The start of conference play is highlighted by Iona against Fairfield on the men’s side, with tonight’s game set to air nationally on ESPNU. The recently announced game comes as the season’s schedule was adjusted due to COVID-19 complications. Last season, the Gaels swept the Stags with a 64-57 win in New Rochelle and a 78-54 victory in Bridgeport. Friday will mark the MAAC debut for new Iona head coach Rick Pitino, who has guided the Gaels to a 1-2 mark to start the season with a win over Hofstra. Jay Young will enter his second year of conference play at the helm of the Fairfield squad after establishing his team as one of the best defensively a year ago. 
 
All games tonight are set to air on the ESPN family of networks. Games aired on an ESPN network will also be available through the ESPN App, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. All events will be available for replay on the ESPN App. In this year of scheduling disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, fans are advised to check MAACSports.com and team specific websites for updated broadcast and game schedules.
 
The 2020-21 campaign concludes with the 2021 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships from Mar. 9-13 at Atlantic City's Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. Stay up to date with all MAAC basketball by visiting MAACSports.com/basketball and by following @MAACHoops and #MAACHoops on Twitter.
 
For a full list of tonight’s games, including watch links, see below.
 
Men’s Games
Rider (0-2) vs. Manhattan (0-0) – 6:00 p.m. (Watch)
Iona (1-2) vs. Fairfield (0-4) – 7:00 p.m. (Watch on ESPNU)
Marist (2-0) vs. Canisius (0-0) – 7:00 p.m. (Watch)
Niagara (0-1) vs. Saint Peter’s (2-2) – 8:00 p.m. (Watch)
 
Women’s Games
Iona (0-2) vs. Monmouth (0-3) – 5:00 p.m. (Watch)
Canisius (0-1) vs. Marist (1-0) – 7:00 p.m. (Watch)
Manhattan (0-1) vs. Rider (0-4) – 7:00 p.m. (Watch)
Fairfield (1-1) vs. Siena (0-0) – 7:00 p.m. (Watch)
 
About the 2021 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships:
The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships return to New Jersey on March 9-13, 2021 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. To stay up to date on MAAC basketball, visit http://maacsports.com/basketball and follow @MAACHoops on Twitter.
 
About Time Out for Black Lives
Time Out for Black Lives aims to inspire and educate youth, athletes, families and fans. The initiative has an interactive website where coaches and student-athletes from MAAC basketball programs contribute their time and resources to read children’s books in entertaining videos, all focusing on Black culture, history, music and myths. The program comes as part of the MAAC’s United for Justice campaign that was announced over the summer.  For more information, visit timeoutforblacklives.com.
 
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 40th 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.