ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Mar. 16, 2024) – The 2024 Hercules Tires Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Basketball Championship at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall semifinal round wrapped up on Friday night with No. 5 Saint Peter’s and No. 2 Fairfield University clinching championship final berths. The title bout between the Peacocks and Stags will take place on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. live on ESPNU.
No. 5 Saint Peter’s – 62 | No. 1 Quinnipiac – 60
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
Box Score (XML)
Box Score (PDF)
Saint Peter’s and Quinnipiac battled to the very last second in a competitive thriller, that ended with the Peacocks winning at the buzzer. The matchup was tight throughout, having 12 lead changes and six ties. The largest lead of the opening half was just six points, and it was held by Quinnipiac at the 6:02 mark. The bulk of the half was a one possession game. In the second half, the Peacocks went ahead by 10, utilizing a 14-5 run over a six and a half minute span, going up 53-43. With 3:10 remaining, Saint Peter’s led by seven, but the Bobcats would fight their way back into the contest holding Saint Peter’s scoreless over the final three minutes, and going on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 60-60. The run would be capped off by a three-pointer from Matt Balanc with .13 left. The 13 ticks would be just enough time for Saint Peter’s. With less than 10 seconds reading on the clock, the Peacocks would miss the go-ahead shot but Mouhamed Sow cleared an offensive rebound and released a game-winning layup at the rim as time expired, propelling the Peacocks back into the championship finale.
Saint Peter’s Notes and Notables
- The hero of the night, Sow, scored a team-high 15 points, had six rebounds, and four blocks.
- Corey Washington finished with 13 points and a team-best seven rebounds.
- Saint Peter’s shot 41.2 percent from beyond the perimeter.
- The Peacocks bench also produced 16 points.
- The Peacocks outrebounded the Bobcats, 39-35, with 15 offensive boards including the cleanup by Sow in the waning moments.
- In total, Saint Peter’s led for 24:26 and never trailed at any point after taking the lead early in the second half.
- Saint Peter’s returns to the title game for the second time in the last three seasons, last making it in 2022 when they won it all and made a historic run to the NCAA Elite Eight.
Quinnipiac Notes and Notables
- Three Bobcats surpassed 10 points.
- Matt Balanc scored a team-high 15 points.
- Savion Lewis added 14 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.
- Paul Otieno had a near double-double, scoring 12 points and pulling in nine rebounds.
No. 2 Fairfield – 65 | No. 3 Marist – 61
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
Box Score (XML)
Box Score (PDF)
Fairfield used a late second half rally to topple Marist, 65-61 in the second semifinal contest of the night. In a game of runs, Marist opened the meeting scoring the game’s first seven points. Fairfield answered with a 15-5 rally of their own, taking a 15-12 lead. With the game tied up at 18-18, the Red Foxes made the next run, scoring 12 of the games next 13 points, to go up 30-19 with 5:06 left. The Stags would make the final run of the opening frame, an 11-2 run, to cut their deficit to two points by the half. Marist would hold the advantage the majority of the second half and take its best lead in the second half with 10 minutes left (nine points). Over the next five minutes the Stags scored nine points to the Red Foxes zero, capping off the run with a triple by Caleb Fields, which tied the game at 57 all. Fairfield would never lose the lead and take the game by the four-point win.
Fairfield Notes and Notables
- Fields scored over 20 points for the second straight championship game, finishing with a game-high 22 points and four assists.
- Jalen Leach also scored in double figures for the second straight game in Atlantic City, tallying 13 points, with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
- Fairfield had a slight edge in rebounds (34-33), points in the paint (34-24), points off of turnovers (18-2), and fast break points (14-2).
- The Stags also forced Marist into 16 turnovers.
- Fairfield is back in the championship title for the first time since 2021 and seeking its first crown since 1997.
Marist Notes and Notables
- Marist was led by Javon Cooley who scored 14 points and had five rebounds.
- Max Allen II followed with 12 points and four rebounds.
- Jadin Collins was the final double digit scorer for the Red Foxes accounting for 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.
- Marist shot 42.0 percent for the floor and 45.0 percent from deep.
- Additionally, the Red Foxes led for 30:31 minutes.
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.