EDISON, NJ (November 9, 2021) – The 2021-22 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Women’s Basketball regular season begins this Tuesday, November 9 with nine of the 11 schools in action on opening day. Monmouth University and Rider University tip their seasons off the following two nights.
The season officially tips off at 1 p.m. today in Western New York when Niagara University hosts Loyola University (MD.) Niagara is led by Head Coach Jada Pierce who enters her sixth season at the helm for the Purple Eagles. Niagara looks to get back to the MAAC Championship Final for the first time since 1997.
At 5 p.m., Iona College goes on the road to take on Bryant University. The Iona Gaels feature Preseason All-MAAC Second Team Selection Juana Camilion who averaged 12.7 points per game during the 2020-21 season. Iona is led by Head Coach Billi Chambers who took the Gaels to their first MAAC title in program history in 2016.
Marist College begins their quest to defend their 2020-21 MAAC Championship title with a road contest at Drexel University at 5 p.m. Marist led the conference in team defense last season, only giving up 51.1 points per game. Brian Giorgis’ squad features two Preseason All-MAAC Second Team selections in senior Sarah Barcello and junior Trinasia Kennedy.
Siena College travels to Binghamton University as their season kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Siena is led by Head Coach Jim Jabir who returns for his second season at the helm in Loudonville, NY. The Saints return fifth-year guard Rayshel Brown who was a preseason All-MAAC Third Team selection.
At 6 p.m., the MAAC is featured in the Bronx, NY. Preseason MAAC favorite Quinnipiac University’s season tips off at Fordham and St. Francis Brooklyn travels to Manhattan College to begin their home slate of games. Both teams feature three Preseason All-MAAC selections featuring last season’s MAAC Player of the Year in Quinnipiac’s Mackenzie Dewees. Manhattan is led by Head Coach Heather Vulin and Quinnipiac is under the direction of Head Coach Tricia Fabbri.
Opening night concludes with three games all starting at 7 p.m. as Saint Peter’s heads to Rutgers, Fairfield hosts Brown University and Canisius heads down the street to take on the University at Buffalo. Saint Peter’s is led by Head Coach Marc Mitchell, Canisius is under the direction of first-year Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh.
Fairfield is led by Head Coach Joe Frager who enters his 15
th and final season at the helm for the Stags. Frager’s offense is led by Preseason MAAC Player of the Year Lou Lopez-Senechal who averaged 16.9 points per game last season.
Monmouth University and first-year Head Coach Ginny Boggess take on Syracuse on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Rider University tips off at Penn State on Thursday night at 7 p.m. with Lynn Milligan at the helm for her sixteenth season with the Broncs.
MAAC/ASUN Tournament
Additionally, the second installment of the MAAC/ASUN Challenge will be held on November 19 and 20 in Kissimmee, Florida at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex’s HP Field House at the Walt Disney World Resort. The 2021 MAAC/ASUN field will include Fairfield and Manhattan representing the MAAC and Florida Gulf Coast University and Stetson University of the ASUN.
Preseason Recap
The MAAC coaches voted Quinnipiac as the favorites heading into the 2021-22 season. Manhattan, Fairfield, Marist, and Rider rounded out the top-five spots in the poll. Headlining the All-MAAC First Team was Preseason Player of the Year, Lou Lopez-Senechal from Fairfield University. The entire MAAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll can be found on
maacsports.com
Six-For-Six in Scrimmages
MAAC teams went six-for-six versus opponents in their exhibition games this preseason. With wins coming from Manhattan (College of Staten Island), Monmouth (Kutztown), Niagara (D’Youville), Rider (TCNJ), Saint Peter’s (NJCU), Siena (Dominican). MAAC teams dominated their opponents winning each exhibition by double digits and the six teams combined to score 143 more points than their opponents as well.
The full 2021-22 schedule can be found on
maacsports.com. All of the games for opening week can be found below:
Tuesday, November 9
- Niagara vs. Loyola (MD.) – 1 p.m. – ESPN3
- Iona at Bryant – 5 p.m. – NEC Front Row
- Marist at Drexel – 5 p.m. – CAA
- Siena at Binghamton – 5:30 p.m. – ESPN+
- Quinnipiac at Fordham – 6 p.m. – ESPN+
- Manhattan vs. St. Francis Brooklyn – 6 p.m. – Jasper Sports Network
- Saint Peter’s at Rutgers – 7 p.m. – B1G+
- Canisius at Buffalo – 7 p.m. – ESPN3
- Fairfield vs. Brown – 7 p.m. – ESPN3
Wednesday, November 10
- Monmouth at Syracuse – 7 p.m. – ESPN3
Thursday, November 11
- Siena at St. Bonaventure – 7 p.m. – ESPN+
- Rider at Penn State – 7 p.m. – B1G+
Friday, November 12
- Niagara at Oakland – 12 p.m. – ESPN+
- Marist vs. American – 7 p.m. – ESPN+
- Saint Peter’s at Lehigh – 7 p.m. – ESPN+
- Monmouth vs. Navy – 7 p.m. – ESPN3
Saturday, November 13
Sunday, November 14
- Marist vs. Vermont – 2 p.m. – ESPN3
- Niagara at Michigan State – 2 p.m. – B1G+
- Fairfield at Rutgers – 2 p.m. – FS1-NJ
The 2021-22 campaign culminates with the 2022 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships from March 8-12 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.
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 41st year of competition during the 2021-22 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.
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on
Twitter,
Facebook and
Instagram or visit
MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.