Manhattan, Iona and Niagara Advance to Men’s Quarterfinals
Atlantic City, N.J. (March 11, 2019) – Manhattan College, Iona College and Niagara University came out victorious in the first round of the 2020 Hercules Tires Men’s Basketball Championship.
No. 9 Manhattan - 61 | No. 8 Fairfield - 43
2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship – First Round
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | Atlantic City, NJ
Key Moments:
- The Jaspers took an early 11-6 lead into the first media timeout.
- Fairfield went on a 10-0 run and held the Jaspers scoreless for the next 9:37, putting the Stags on top 16-11.
- It was all tied up at 19 heading into halftime.
- Manhattan took the lead to start the second half and never trailed for the remainder of the game.
- Pauly Paulicap was named the Tropicana Player of the Game for his 18-point and 12-rebound performance.
Notables:
- With the victory, Manhattan avenged a pair of regular season losses to the Stags.
- The Jaspers snapped a three-game losing streak, which included a 66-50 loss at home to Fairfield to close out the regular season.
- Paulicap registered his ninth career double-double, and Samir Stewart scored his 100th career three-pointer.
Up Next:
No. 9 Manhattan will meet regular season champion and top-seeded Siena in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The two split the regular season series, both winning on their own courts.
No. 7 Iona - 70 | No. 10 Canisius - 60
2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship – First Round
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | Atlantic City, NJ
Key Moments:
- Isaiah Washington scored five of the Gaels’ first seven points to start the game.
- After a back-and-forth first half, Tajuan Agee hit a three in the closing seconds to take the 36-32 lead into the locker room.
- Two Gaels reached double figures before the intermission in Washington (13) and E.J. Crawford (11).
- The Gaels pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Griffs 34-28 in the final 20 minutes.
- Crawford’s 25 points and seven rebounds earned him the Tropicana Player of the Week distinction. Washington added 24 points and six rebounds of his own.
Notables:
- The Gaels’ hopes are still alive to become the first team in conference history to win five-straight MAAC Championships. Crawford would become the second player in MAAC history to win four titles in his career.
- Iona moves to 3-0 against the Griffs on the season, twice beating them during the regular season.
- Senior Malik Johnson played his final game as a Griff tonight. The 2019-20 All-MAAC Third Team selection leaves his mark on the program as its all-time assist leader.
Up Next:
No. 7 Iona will take on No. 2 Saint Peter’s in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. The Peacocks own the 2-0 series lead this season, with both games being decided by a combined four points.
No. 6 Niagara - 56 | No. 11 Marist - 54
2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship – First Round
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | Atlantic City, NJ
Key Moments:
- Niagara took a narrow 31-30 lead to the locker room behind 12 points from Marcus Hammond in the opening half.
- Raheem Solomon hit the go-ahead layup with three seconds left to push the Purple Eagles past the Red Foxes.
- Hammond’s 20 points, four rebounds and three assists earned him the Tropicana Player of the Game distinction.
Notables:
- Hammond was named to the All-MAAC First Team, as announced by the MAAC earlier this week.
- First year Head Coach Greg Paulus earned his first MAAC Championship win.
Up Next:
No. 6 Niagara will wait until Thursday to face No. 3 Rider at 7:00 p.m. Niagara and Rider previously met twice this season, splitting the series at 1-1.
See below for the upcoming schedule and matchups:
| Round |
Game |
Matchup |
Date |
Times |
Network |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 4 |
No. 1 Siena vs Game No. 9 Manhattan |
March 11 |
7:00 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 5 |
No. 2 Saint Peter’s vs No. 7 Iona |
March 11 |
9:30 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 6 |
No. 3 Rider vs No. 6 Niagara |
March 12 |
7:00 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
| Quarterfinal |
Game 7 |
No. 4 Monmouth vs No. 5 Quinnipiac |
March 12 |
9:30 p.m. |
ESPN3 |
| Semifinal |
Game 8 |
Game 4 Winner vs Game 7 Winner |
March 13 |
6:00 p.m. |
ESPNN |
| Semifinal |
Game 9 |
Game 5 Winner vs Game 6 Winner |
March 13 |
8:30 p.m. |
ESPNN |
| Championship |
Game 10 |
Game 8 Winner vs Game 9 Winner |
March 14 |
4:00 p.m. |
ESPNU |
Tickets for the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships can be purchased by visiting
ticketmaster.com or by visiting
maacsports.com/basketball. To keep up with the postseason action, follow @MAACHoops on Twitter and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #maAChoops20.
About Atlantic City Sports Commission:
The Atlantic City Sports Commission was officially formed on January 13, 2015 as a 501 (c)(3) organization with the support of Meet AC and the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) to attract sporting events, conventions and competitions to Atlantic City. For more information, visit www.atlanticcitysports.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Spectra:
Spectra is an industry leader in hosting and entertainment, partnering with clients to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year. Spectra's unmatched blend of integrated services delivers incremental value for clients through several primary areas of expertise: Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Partnerships. Learn more at SpectraExperiences.com. Follow Spectra on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Spectra secured the Media Presenting Sponsorship with Atlantic City Weekly.
About the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority:
The only agency of its kind nationwide, the CRDA has used Atlantic City casino reinvestments as a catalyst for meaningful, positive improvement in the lives of New Jersey residents since 1984. Under the 2011 Tourism District Act, the Authority's mission evolved from statewide projects to becoming the state's key economic development agency for Atlantic City. CRDA's expanded responsibilities now include land use regulation, tourism marketing and clean and safe initiatives. The CRDA also oversees Historic Boardwalk Hall (the leading entertainment venue of its size in the country) and the Atlantic City Convention Center. In total, CRDA has invested nearly $2 billion in more than 400 projects statewide, of which $1.8 billion has been invested in Atlantic City, spurring business investments and expansions, and creating permanent jobs in the process. For more information about CRDA and our projects, visit www.njcrda.com. Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/njcrda and Twitter at www.twitter.com/njcrda.
About Van Wagner Sports:
Van Wagner Sports, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Van Wagner Group LLC, creates, advises, and sells on behalf of world-class teams, leagues, brands, properties, and colleges. An innovator in the sports and media business, Van Wagner is a global leader in high-impact broadcast visible signage throughout the MLB, NBA, NCAA, and the highest levels of international soccer, sponsorships sales, premium ticketing, college multi-media rights, and in-venue content production at the world's biggest sporting events. http://www.vanwagner.com/.
About the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships:
The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships return to New Jersey on March 10-14, 2020 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. To stay up to date on MAAC basketball, visit
http://maacsports.com/basketball and follow
@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 39
th year of competition during the 2019-20 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.