2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship Set to Tip Off
Atlantic City, N.J. (March 9, 2019) – The 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship tips off tomorrow with three first round games. The event will enter its inaugural year at Atlantic City’s historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
No. 1 Rider University (25-4, 18-2 MAAC)
Rider University enters as the league’s top seed, clinching a share of the regular season title after a highlight reel buzzer beater off an inbound pass on Saturday night against Monmouth. The 2019-20 season marks the first year in Rider history the Broncs have claimed the regular season title and the top seed. Rider’s Stella Johnson has had a record setting season, leading the entire NCAA in scoring, averaging 24.4 points per game, and being a unanimous selection to the All-MAAC First Team. The Broncs will begin their bid for the school’s first ever MAAC championship on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. when they face either No. 8 Niagara or No. 9 Saint Peter’s.
No. 2 Marist College (25-4, 18-2)
Marist College entered the year as the preseason favorites, and finished with a share of the regular season title. The title marked the 12
th for the Red Foxes, more than any other school in MAAC history. Marist has been led by a trio of seniors in Rebekah Hand, Alana Gilmer, and Grace Vander Weide. Hand and Gilmer rank second and third in the MAAC in scoring, averaging 18.0 and 17.2 points per game, respectively, with both being named unanimous selections to the All-MAAC First Team. Vander Weide finished the year atop the MAAC in assists, dishing out 181 throughout the season to average 6.2 a game and make the All-MAAC Second Team. The Red Foxes begin their campaign for the program’s 11
th MAAC title on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., where they will face either No. 7 Iona or No. 10 Monmouth.
No. 3 Fairfield University (15-14, 12-8)
The No. 3 seed in the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship belongs to Fairfield University. Defending MAAC Rookie of the Year Lou Lopez-Senechal led the Stags with 15.4 points per game, garnering a spot on the All-MAAC First Team. Lopez-Senechal, along with redshirt senior Katie Armstrong and senior Sam Kramer, will look to bring the MAAC trophy back to Fairfield for the first time since 1998. The first game for the Stags will be Thursday at 12:00 p.m. where they will face either No. 6 Siena or No. 11 Canisius.
No. 4 Manhattan College (15-14, 12-8)
Manhattan College enters the 2020 championship as the No. 4 seed. The Jaspers will face off Thursday at 2:30 p.m. against Quinnipiac in the quarterfinals. In the regular season, the home teams garnered the advantage in both matchups with the Bobcats claiming the first meeting 70-58 in Hamden and the Jaspers responding with a win of their own, 77-62 in Riverdale. The Jaspers will look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003 with the help of All-MAAC First Team selection Courtney Warley and All-Rookie Team selection Emily LaPointe. LaPointe led all rookies this season with eight MAAC Pepsi Zero Rookie of the Week awards.
No. 5 Quinnipiac University (15-14, 12-8)
Quinnipiac University has won four of the last five MAAC championships, including the last three-straight. The Bobcats placed two on the All-Rookie Team in Mikala Morris and Cur’Tiera Haywood. The two standout rookies come in after the Bobcats graduated their entire championship-winning starting lineup from the year prior. Taylor Herd was named an All-MAAC Third Team selection, serving as the lone representation for the Hamden, Connecticut based school. Quinnipiac will face off against Manhattan on Thursday in a matchup for the season series after splitting with the Jaspers during the regular season.
No. 6 Siena College (10-19, 8-12)
No. 6 Siena will begin its postseason run on Tuesday in the first round, tipping off at 1:30 p.m. against No. 11 Canisius. After starting MAAC play at 1-6, Siena responded with a five-game winning streak to bring the team back to the middle of the MAAC standings. The Saints have been led by senior Sabrina Piper, an All-MAAC Third-Team selection who averaged 13.8 points a game, good for ninth in the MAAC. Siena will look for the second title in school history, winning it all in the 2001 season.
No. 7 Iona College (9-20, 8-12)
Iona starts its postseason run against No. 10 Monmouth at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the first round. The Gaels will look for the team’s second MAAC title in school history when they begin their 2020 postseason. Iona was crowned MAAC champions in 2016, being the only team to defeat Quinnipiac in the MAAC championship over the last five years. Two Gaels are averaging double-digit numbers in scoring this season in Morgan Rachu (12.1) and Juana Camilion (11.8). Camilion garnered All-MAAC Third Team honors for the Gaels, while rookie Paulla Weekes was selected to the All-Rookie Team.
No. 8 Niagara University (9-20, 7-13)
The first game of the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship will feature No. 8 Niagara taking on No. 9 Saint Peter’s on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. The Purple Eagles will look for the season sweep of the Peacocks, taking both matchups earlier this year. Niagara’s Jai Moore sits fourth in the MAAC in scoring at 16.3 points per game, dropping 21 against the Peacocks in both of the two prior meetings. Moore was an All-MAAC Second Team selection and rookie Adia Brisker was named the All-Rookie Team.
No. 9 Saint Peter’s University (9-20, 6-14)
Saint Peter’s will look to avoid the season sweep from Niagara in the opening game of the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship, starting Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. The signature win for the Peacocks this season came on Feb. 6 in Jersey City, where Saint Peter’s handed top seed Rider one of the team’s two MAAC losses on the season. Briyanah Richardson led the way for the Peacocks with 16 points, Taiah Thornton and Zoe Pero followed with 15 and 10 points, respectively. Thornton was named to the All-MAAC Third Team, leading the team in scoring with 15.0 points per game.
No. 10 Monmouth University (8-21, 5-15)
Monmouth is set to make the short drive from West Long Branch to Atlantic City to take on No. 7 Iona on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. The Hawks split the two regular season matchups with the Gaels this year, winning a Feb. 11 matchup in New Rochelle 56-50. Sierra Green leads the Monmouth offense, posting 10.8 points per contest.
No. 11 Canisius College (4-16, 5-24)
The Griffs will begin on Tuesday against No. 6 Siena. Canisius will look to avoid getting swept by the Saints, who won both meetings this season. Danielle Sanderlin collected All-MAAC Third Team recognition, averaging 13.7 points per game. Sanderlin and D’Jhai Patterson-Ricks (14.3) both rank in the top 10 in the MAAC in scoring, making Canisius one of three teams to do so.
All games of the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship will be broadcasted on ESPN3, with the exception of the championship game on Saturday, March 10 at 11:00 a.m., which will be broadcasted on ESPNNews.
Tickets for the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships can be purchased by visiting
ticketmaster.com or by visiting
maacsports.com/basketball. To keep up with the postseason action, follow @MAACHoops on Twitter and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #maAChoops20.
See below for the full schedule and matchups:
| Round |
Game |
Matchup |
Date |
Times |
Network |
| First Round |
Game 1 |
No. 8 Niagara vs No. 9 Saint Peter’s |
March 10 |
9:30 a.m. |
ESPN3 |
| First Round |
Game 2 |
No. 7 Iona vs No. 10 Monmouth |
March 10 |
11:30 a.m. |
ESPN3 |
| First Round |
Game 3 |
No. 6 Siena vs No. 11 Canisius |
March 10 |
1:30 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 4 |
No. 1 Rider vs Game 1 Winner |
March 11 |
1:00 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 5 |
No. 2 Marist vs Game 2 Winner |
March 11 |
3:30 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 6 |
No. 3 Fairfield vs Game 3 Winner |
March 12 |
12:00 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 7 |
No. 4 Manhattan vs No. 5 Quinnipiac |
March 12 |
2:30 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
| Semifinal |
Game 8 |
Game 4 Winner vs Game 7 Winner |
March 13 |
11:00 a.m. |
ESPN3 |
| Semifinal |
Game 9 |
Game 5 Winner vs Game 6 Winner |
March 13 |
1:30 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
| Championship |
Game 10 |
Game 8 Winner vs Game 9 Winner |
March 14 |
11:00 a.m. |
ESPNN |
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About the 2020 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 10-14, 2020 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 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) is in its 39
th year of competition during the 2019-20 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.