EDISON, NJ (Feb. 11, 2026) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) today announced, that the Friday, February 20 men’s basketball game between Merrimack College and Siena University, has been flexed to ESPNU as part of the MAAC Wildcard Game package. The primetime contest will be played at Lawler Arena in North Andover, MA with a tipoff time of 8 p.m.
The MAAC Wildcard Game format allows ESPN to pick any game scheduled for that specific date to air on ESPNU and allows the MAAC and ESPN the flexibility to showcase the best matchups as the season progresses.
This top three MAAC matchup, puts first place Merrimack against third place Siena. Merrimack, which joined the conference last season in 2024-25, earns its program’s first MAAC wildcard selection to play on ESPNU. Siena will be playing in its second ESPNU game of the season, having its February 5 home contest against Iona chosen for the network, with this marking the sixth wildcard selection for the Saints since the 2021-22 season. When Merrimack and Siena meet on the national stage on February 20, the game will be the second contest of the 2025-26 series between the two teams, with the first game occurring back on January 9 in Albany, NY. In that game, the Warriors topped the Saints, 63-59 on the road.
The first place Merrimack Warriors (16-9, 12-2 MAAC) have held at least a share of the top spot on the MAAC standings since conference play began. Merrimack is riding the league’s longest active winning streak of four games and has won six out of its last seven games. The Warriors are the only remaining unbeaten team at home, boasting an 8-0 record in North Andover. Last time out, Merrimack handled Rider on Saturday, winning the road contest 73-47, giving the Warriors the season sweep over the Broncs.
Merrimack is one of the top defensive squads in the league. The Warriors lead the MAAC in blocks per game (4.7), a mark that ranks 32
nd nationally. Merrimack is second in the conference in three point percentage defense (29.9), turnover margin (+2.6) and turnovers per game (10.0), they rank third in scoring defense (67.8) and steals per game (7.9), and the team is fourth on the MAAC leaderboard in field goal percentage defense (42.3) and turnovers forced per game (12.64). Merrimack will host Marist on February 12 and will visit Quinnipiac on February 15 ahead of the ESPNU game.
The Siena Saints (17-8, 10-4 MAAC) currently sit in third place on the MAAC standings. Siena’s 17 overall wins are tied for the most in the league and the team’s .680 overall winning percentage leads the MAAC. The unit is also 8-5 on the road and 2-0 in neutral site games this year, the most road wins this season in the conference and the 10 wins away from home match the program's highest total in 16 years dating back to the 2009-10 season. Siena dropped its last game, falling 70-65 at Saint Peter’s on Saturday.
In addition to leading the MAAC in overall winning percentage, Siena is ranked first in the MAAC in field goal percentage (46.8) and fouls per game (13.8) – which is fifth best in the nation. The Saints rank second in the league in scoring defense (65.9), scoring margin (+5.6), rebound margin (3.2), and assists to turnover ratio (1.34). They were also third in effective field goal percentage (.517) and turnovers per game (10.2). Ahead of the February 20 ESPNU game, Siena will host Quinnipiac on February 13 and will travel to rival Marist on February 15.
The 2025-26 MAAC basketball season culminates with the 2026 Air Force Reserve MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships from March 5-10 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. 2026 will be the seventh consecutive year Boardwalk Hall will host the annual championship dating back to 2020. For the second straight season, the championship field will feature the conference's top 10 teams. Additionally, with the shift of the basketball championship schedule to a week earlier, the women’s championship game will be a standalone contest on Monday, March 9, while the men’s championship game will air live nationally on ESPN or ESPN2 on Tuesday, March 10.
For all information regarding the 2026 Air Force Reserve MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, please visit
MAACSports.com/basketball and by following @MAACHoops and #MAACHoops on X.
Air Force Reserve
The mission of the Air Force Reserve is to provide combat-ready forces to fly, fight, and win in air, space, and cyberspace, whenever and wherever needed. As a critical component of the United States Air Force, the Air Force Reserve supports global operations while remaining ready to respond to domestic emergencies and humanitarian efforts. It is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Reserve Citizen Airmen to execute a wide range of missions that contribute to national defense and global security.
The Air Force Reserve offers part-time and full-time service options, enabling individuals to serve while maintaining civilian careers or pursuing higher education. Each year, the Reserve recruits thousands of enlisted and officer personnel across core specialties including Aviation, Maintenance, Intelligence, Cyber, Medical, Security Forces, and Logistics. This flexibility allows members to develop valuable skills, gain leadership experience, and serve their country with pride.
More information about Air Force Reserve careers and opportunities is available at:
https://www.airforce.com/ways-to-serve/air-force-reserve.
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 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 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 University.
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