Women's Basketball

Fairfield and Niagara Set to Meet in the 2024 Hercules Tires MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship Title Game Presented by Showboat

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Mar. 15, 2024) – Following the semifinal round of the 2024 Hercules Tires Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Women’s Basketball Championship at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall on Friday, the top two seeds remain alive. Both No. 1 Fairfield University and No. 2 Niagara University won its respective contests, and will meet in the championship title bout on Saturday after at 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
 
No. 1 Fairfield – 77 | No. 5 Canisius – 64
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
Box Score (XML)
Box Score (PDF)
 
No. 25 Fairfield extended its conference-leading winning streak to 28 games following a 77-64 semifinal round victory over Canisius on Friday morning. The Stags trailed for less than two minutes, only falling behind after the game’s opening basket. From that moment on, Fairfield went on an 18-6 run the remainder of the quarter, taking an 18-9 lead. The Stags would increase the lead to 17 following a 7-0 run and eventually go up 40-24 by halftime. In the second half, Fairfield’s lead grew to as many as 23 points before closing out the meeting with the 13-point win.
 
Fairfield Notes and Notables
  • Five Stags went over double figures in the win.
  • Janelle Brown led the offense with 19 points and a team-high four assists.
  • Meghan Andersen tallied 16 points on 60 percent shooting from the field.
  • Emina Selimovic and Kendall McGruder both scored 11 points, while Selimovic recorded a double-double also grabbing 12 rebounds.
  • The final Stag in double figures was Nicole Gallagher who scored 10 points.
  • Fairfield hit 11 triples in the win and shot 42.4 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.
  • The Stags owned the boards, pulling in 45 rebounds to Canisius’ 27.
  • They also had advantages of 17-7 on points in the paint, and a 12-2 fast break points differential.
  • The win improved Fairfield’s overall record to 30-1, the second-best winning percentage in the country.
  • The Stags 28-straight wins set a new conference record for most consecutive wins.
  • Fairfield will play for a MAAC title for the second time in the past three seasons.
 
Canisius Notes and Notables
  • Athina Lexa matched the game-high with 19 points.
  • Brooklyn Thrash followed with a 12 points total.
  • The last Golden Griffin to log double figures was Giana Hernandez-Boulden, scoring 11 points.
  • Canisius forced 16 turnovers, and scored 22 points off the Stags mishaps.
 
No. 2 Niagara – 87 | No. 3 Siena – 70
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
Box Score (XML)
Box Score (PDF)
 
Niagara secured its spot in the championship final by way of a dominating 87-70 victory over Siena. The Purple Eagles scored a program record 34 points in the first quarter, the most points of any quarter in program history, flying out to a commanding 34-11 lead. The fast start would be too much for Siena to overcome as Niagara pushed its lead to as many as 30 midway through the third quarter and eventually winning by the 17-point margin.
 
Niagara Notes and Notables
  • 12 different Purple Eagles scored at least two points, led by quartet in double figures.
  • Sisters Aaliyah and Angel Parker both scored a team-high 13 points.
  • Aaliyah added eight rebounds and four steals while Angel had five rebounds and four assists.
  • Amelia Strong and Lore Porter each contributed 11 points, with Strong picking up seven boards.
  • The Purple Eagles defense forced 25 turnovers, which included 16 steals, converting them into 30 points.
  • Niagara dominated the rebounding battle, winning it 53-34, with 26 offensive rebounds that turned into 25 second chance points.
  • Niagara’s reserves also contributed to the scoring, logging 39 bench points.
  • For Niagara, it’s the program’s first time in the MAAC final since 1997.
 
Siena Notes and Notables
  • Ahniysha Jackson led three Saints in double figures, scoring a game-high 24 points.
  • Teresa Seppala added 17 points.
  • Elisa Mevius played all 40 minutes and picked up her second straight double-double in the tournament, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
  • In the paint, the Saints outscored the Purple Eagles, 48-38.
 
For all information regarding the 2024 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, please visit 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 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, 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. Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as full members in the 2024-25 academic year, expanding the conference to 13 institutions.
 
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Threads or visit MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.