Men's Basketball

Marist and Saint Peter’s Victorious in the Quarterfinal Round of the 2024 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship Presented by Showboat

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Mar. 15, 2024) – The 2024 Hercules Tires Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Basketball Championship at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall quarterfinal round concluded on Thursday night, with two more teams punching their tickets into the semifinal round. No. 3 Marist earned a comeback win and No. 5 Saint Peter’s grinded out a victory.
 
No. 3 Marist – 65 | No. 6 Niagara – 59
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
Box Score (XML)
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Marist erased a 15-point second half deficit, picking up a 65-59 victory over Niagara. The Purple Eagles jumped out to a 18-6 lead early in the opening half and eventually led 36-24 at the break. After falling behind by 15, just three minutes into the half, Marist reeled off a 13-2 run, pulling within four. By the midway mark of the second half, the Red Foxes would even the contest at 47-47, before taking their first lead of the night with 5:34 to play. Down the stretch, Marist would seal the victory by converting on eight made free throws.
 
Marist Notes and Notables
  • Marist freshman Jadin Collins led all scorers with 20 points and added five steals and four assists.
  • Javon Cooley scored 14 points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting from the field, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.
  • Jackson Price had 12 points and four boards.
  • As a unit, the Red Foxes shot 52.3 percent for the floor in the win.
  • Marist narrowly edged Niagara on the glass, 28-23.  
  • Marist advances to the semifinals for the second straight season and will battle No. 2 Fairfield on Friday night at 9:00 p.m. on ESPNews. 
Niagara Notes and Notables
  • Niagara was led in scoring by Kwane Marble II with 15 points.
  • Yaw Obeng-Mensah had 13 points and seven rebounds.
  • The Purple Eagles led the entire first half and for a total of 29:15.
No. 5 Saint Peter’s – 50 | No. 4 Rider – 48
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
Box Score (XML)
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New Jersey rivals, Saint Peter’s and Rider squared off in the quarterfinals round for the second straight season, with the Peacocks coming away with a gritty 50-48 win. The defensive matchup produced a combined 45 points in the first half, seeing Saint Peter’s lead Rider 27-18 after building a 21-10 early advantage. In the second half, the Broncs would cut into the deficit and eventually trail by one point (49-48) with 1:29 on the clock. The score remained the same with six seconds remaining but Rider’s attempt at the go-ahead layup was blocked at the rim, causing a Bronc turnover. On the ensuing possession, the Peacocks connected on the front end of two free throws, missing the second allowing Rider to heave up a shot at the buzzer which was unsuccessful.
 
Saint Peter’s Notes and Notables
  • Michael Houge scored a career-high 20 points, with eight points to go along with them.
  • Marcus Rudolph tallied 10 points.
  • Latell Reid and Mouhamed Sow each grabbed double-digit rebounds, with Reid pulling down 11 and Sow snagging 10.
  • The Peacocks recorded 47 rebounds compared to Rider’s 34.
  • Saint Peter’s defense held Rider to 29.3 field goal percentage and 13.3 three-point percentage.
  • The Peacocks led for 35:20 and did not allow the Broncs to lead at any point in the matchup.
  • Saint Peter’s returns to the semifinal round for the fifth straight year dating back to 2020, and will face No. 1 Quinnipiac on Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNews.
Rider Notes and Notables
  • A trio of Broncs surpassed double figures.
  • Mervin James led the way with 17 points and nine rebounds.
  • Tariq Ingram had 11 points and six boards.
  • T.J. Weeks Jr. scored 10 points.
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.