Men's Basketball

2025 MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship Day One Recap Presented by Bally’s Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Mar. 11, 2025) – The first round of the 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Basketball Championship at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall tipped off on Tuesday evening with a pair highly competitive contest. Victorious squads in the first round were No. 8 Rider University and No. 7 Sacred Heart.
 
No. 8 Rider – 78 | No. 9 Siena – 76
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
Box Score (XML)
Box Score (PDF)
 
A late game go-ahead layup with .07, by Tariq Ingraham lifted Rider to a 78-76 win over Siena. The back-and-forth affair produced 20 lead changes and seven ties. In the first half, neither team gained a lead larger than two possessions, with the Broncs largest lead being six points at the 14:13 mark, while the Saints biggest advantage was four points, which they held twice in the half. Siena opened up a 13 point lead in the early stages of the second half, but Rider slowly cut into the lead, eventually regaining the lead with just under six to play following a pair of Tank Byard free throws. The game would tie three more times and the lead would change hands twice over the remaining moments. In the late stages of the game, Justice Shoats connected on one of two free throws to tie the game at 76-76 with 13 seconds left. On the final possession for the Broncs, freshman guard Flash Burton drew in two defenders following a screen and found a wide open Ingraham rolling to the basket, who’s layup bounced and rolled in, for the game-clinching score.
 
Rider Notes and Notables
  • Five Broncs combined to score 71 of the team’s 78 points.
  • Leading the pack was Ingraham who logged a 19 point, 13 rebound, double-double – his seventh of the year.
  • Ingraham was a perfect 5-for-5 at the line and 7-for-9 from the field, while also dishing out a team-high four assists and adding one block.
  • Burton finished with 17 points, two assists, and two rebounds.
  • Scoring 14 points on a 2-for-4 night from beyond the arc was Zion Cruz.
  • T.J. Weeks Jr. added 11 points and 11 rebounds to also log a double-double, and Byard chipped in with 10 for the Broncs.
  • As a team, Rider dominated the glass, grabbing 41 rebounds to Siena’s 28.
  • The Broncs were also commanding in the paint, scoring 46 of their 78 points in the paint.
  • Rider also held an edge in second chance points, outscoring Siena 23-2 in the department.
  • The Broncs will play in the quarters for the third consecutive season.
  • Rider will take on No. 1 Quinnipiac in the quarterfinals tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.
 
Siena Notes and Notables
  • Siena was led offensively by the trio of Shoats, Gavin Doty and Brendan Coyle.
  • Shoats scored 19 points and handed out nine assists.
  • Doty logged 16 points, grabbed four boards, and had three assists.
  • Coyles’ night ended with 13 points.
  • Scoring nine points and six rebounds was Reid Ducharme.
 
No. 7 Sacred Heart – 71 | No. 10 Fairfield – 58
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
Box Score (XML)
Box Score (PDF)
 
Sacred Heart never trailed in a dominating, 71-58, wire-to-wire victory over Fairfield. The Pioneers scored the game’s first seven points, before gaining a 10 point lead just under the 13 minute mark. The Pios lead would grow to as much as 14 points in the opening 20 minutes and remained at 10 by the half. Fairfield didn’t go away quietly, using an early 9-2 run over the first three minutes of the half, to get within three points, but despite the early run, Sacred Heart responded with an 8-0 run to build its lead back to double figures. The Pios would cruise to the finish line and the 13 point victory.
 
Sacred Heart Notes and Notables
  • Sacred Heart led for almost the entire game, holding a lead time of 39:21.
  • Amiri Stewart scored a game-high 18 points, making all five of his free throws, and added eight rebounds, six assists, and two blocks.
  • Tanner Thomas followed with 14 points, six boards, three assists, and two steals.
  • Anquan Hill totaled 12 points, with five rebounds and a pair of assists.
  • Scoring nine points, with all his shots coming from beyond the arc was Griffin Barrouk.
  • Sacred Heart was perfect at the line, connecting on 7-for-7 free throws.
  • The Pios dominated all facets of the game, winning the battle of the boards (42-39), second chance points (14-12), bench points (23-16), fast break points (18-7), and points in the point (34-30).
  • Sacred Heart will clash with No. 2 Merrimack in the quarters at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow night.
 
Fairfield Notes and Notables
  • Braden Sparks led the Stags with 16 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
  • Jamie Bergens was also in double figure scoring, recording 10 points with a team-high five assists.
  • Leading Fairfield in rebounds was Prophet Johnson, who snagged 10 shots off the glass and also contributed eight points.
 
For all information regarding the 2025 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 13 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 44th year of competition during the 2024-25 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
 
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