EDISON, NJ (Feb. 20, 2023) – Another weekend of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men’s basketball league play concluded with more fireworks. Highlighting the day with key wins were Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, and Quinnipiac University. Sunday’s results gave Iona a two game lead in first-place over Rider and idle Siena, most notably, while the Gaels also clinched an opening round bye in the MAAC tournament.
 
Iona (20-7, 13-3 MAAC) – 73 | Saint Peter’s (10-15, 5-11 MAAC) – 53
Yanitelli Center | JERSEY CITY, NJ
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Iona Recap
Saint Peter’s Recap
 
Iona dominated Saint Peter's in a 73-53 win in MAAC play at Run Baby Run Arena Sunday. The Gaels earned their 20th overall victory of the season with their seventh consecutive win and with league record improving to 13-3. The Gaels first-place lead extended to two games over second-place Rider and Siena and Iona clinched an opening round bye in the MAAC tournament with the win additionally. Iona, which recorded its second straight wire-to-wire win, was led by Anton Brookshire who had a career-high 22 points and Nelly Junior Joseph recorded another double-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, while Daniss Jenkins added 11 points. Saint Peter’s leaders were Kyle Cardaci with 12 points and Isiah Dasher with 11 points. The Peacocks fall to 5-11 in the MAAC on the year.
 
Manhattan (10-15, 8-8 MAAC) – 73 | Fairfield (12-15, 8-9 MAAC) – 72
Leo D. Mahoney Arena | FAIRFIELD, CT
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Manhattan Recap
Fairfield Recap
 
Manhattan held on for a 73-72 road win at Fairfield on Sunday. The Jaspers MAAC mark evened at 8-8, matching the team’s conference win total from a season ago. The Stags fall below .500 following the defeat, dropping to 8-9 in the MAAC. Fairfield almost completed a comeback, but missed on free throws with less than a second remaining, coming up short of forcing overtime. Ant Nelson finished with a game-high 24 points for Manhattan and added five assists with no turnovers in the win. Marques Watson chipped in with 12 points for the Jaspers as well. TJ Long scored a team-high 23 points for the Stags, while Supreme Cook posted his eighth double-double of the season with 17 points and 17 rebounds, and Allan Jeanne-Rose had a near double-double of 10 points and nine rebounds.
 
Marist (9-17, 5-12 MAAC) – 61 | Niagara (14-12, 9-8 MAAC) – 52
McCann Arena | POUGHKEEPSIE NY
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Marist Recap
Niagara Recap
 
Marist defeated Niagara by a score of 61-52 in a MAAC matchup at McCann Arena on Sunday afternoon. The Red Foxes improve to 5-12 in the MAAC, while the Purple Eagles drop to 9-8 in the league standings. Patrick Gardner and Kam Farris led Marist with 14 points apiece, while Noah Harris contributed 10 points. In the game, Gardner scored his 2,000th collegiate point, which total includes his time as Nassau Community College, Saint Michael's, and Marist. Niagara was led by Aaron Gray who finished with 19 points, followed by Noah Thomasson who collected 15 points.
 
Mount St. Mary’s (10-18, 6-11 MAAC) – 75 | Canisius (7-19, 5-12 MAAC) – 74
Knott Arena | EMMITSBURG, MD
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Mount St. Mary’s Recap
Canisius Recap
 
Mount St. Mary's edged Canisius, 75-74 on Sunday afternoon at home in Knott Arena. The second straight win for the Mountaineers moved the team to 6-11 in the MAAC, while the Golden Griffins had their two-game winning streak snapped and fall to 5-12. In a second half that featured 11 lead changes and seven ties, the Mountaineers were able to make the plays down the stretch to secure the victory. Dakota Leffew scored 22 points, Jedy Cordilia had 18 points, George Tinsley added 11 points while Jalen Benjamin scored 10 points and a career-high 12 assists to lead Mount St. Mary’s. Canisius was led by Jordan Henderson who scored a career-high 28 points, Tahj Staveskie posted 17 points and Jacco Fritz finished with 12 points on the day.
 
Quinnipiac (19-9, 10-7 MAAC) – 90 | Rider (14-11, 11-5 MAAC) – 88 2OT
M&T Bank Arena | HAMDEN, CT
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Quinnipiac Recap
Rider Recap
 
Quinnipiac won a double-overtime thriller on Sunday afternoon in Hamden, topping Rider by the final score of 90-88 at M&T Bank Arena. The Bobcats, which trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half, closed regulation on a 30-14 run to force overtime. Quinnipiac outscored Rider 11-9 in the second overtime period to grab its 19th victory of the year and improve to 10-7 in league play. The Broncs drop their second in a row and MAAC record falls to 11-5. Dezi Jones led the Bobcats with a career-high 28 points, Matt Balanc added 17 points and 11 rebounds, Alexis Reyes chipped in with 12 points and Tyrese Williams recorded 11 points in the victory. Leading four Broncs in double figures was Dwight Murray, Jr. posting his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Allen Powell (13), Allen Betrand (12), and Nehemiah Benson (10) joined with a double digit day. 
 
The 2022-23 campaign culminates with the 2023 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships from March 7-11 at Atlantic City's Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for the fourth consecutive year. For all information regarding the 2023 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, please visit MAACSports.com/basketball and by following @MAACHoops and #MAACHoops on Twitter. For tickets to the 2023 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, please visit ticketmaster.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) is in its 42nd year of competition during the 2022-23 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s 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.