ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Mar. 9, 2026) – The semifinal round of the 2026 Air Force Reserve Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Basketball Championship at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall ended on Sunday night with No. 1 Merrimack College and No. 3 Siena University clinching championship final berths. The title game between the Warriors and Saints will take place on Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m. live on ESPN2.
No. 1 Merrimack – 58 | No. 5 Marist – 57
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
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Top seeded Merrimack survived Marist, 58-57, in the first semifinal round game on Sunday. The Warriors put forth a strong showing in the first half, but Marist held in there with the No. 1 seed. Merrimack went on a roll early and had an 11-2 run from the 17:14 mark to the 12:35 mark. From there, Marist responded with a 9-2 rally of its own coming during the 11:04-7:20 stretch. Merrimack led by two at the half, 30-28.
The second half was a game of runs. Rhyjon Blackwell opened the half with a three to give Marist the lead of 31-30, and then Merrimack went on an 8-0 run for the next minute plus, to regain the edge. From there, Marist went on a 6-0 spurt and eventually tied the game up at 40 all with another Blackwell triple a quarter of the way through the half. For the next three minutes, it was Merrimack’s turn at a run, scoring the game’s next seven points. The last significant run was from 9:02-6:50, when Marist scored a handful of unanswered points. The last six minutes and change was a defensive battle. Coming down to the wire, the teams were all knotted up at 55-55. Marist took its final lead when Blackwell hit a floating jumper to go up 57-55, but on the very next possession, Tye Dorset drained a three, putting Merrimack ahead 58-57. Following a missed jumper by the Warriors with 5.9 seconds on the clock, Marist’s Jadin Collins-Roberts attempted to push the ball ahead for the game-winning basket, but MAAC Player and Rookie of the Year, Kevair Kennedy striped him near midcourt to close out the win.
Merrimack Notes and Notables
- The Warriors only played six players in the game and starters Dorset and Ernest Shelton played the full 40 minutes.
- Although the game was tight, Merrimack held the lead for 34:00.
- Merrimack used its signature defense to help in the win, causing Marist into 20 turnovers, 12 of which were by way of steals.
- 19 of the team’s points came from turnovers, while 10 were from fast breaks.
- Dorset had a career night, scoring a career-high 23 points, going 10-for-17 from the field and 3-for-5 from three.
- He had six rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block as well.
- Kennedy delivered 16 points, with most of his damage coming from the charity stripe (6-9).
- Shelton contributed 13 points additionally.
- The Warriors did most of their work in the paint, scoring 30 of their 58 in the post.
- Merrimack is making its third championship final over the past four seasons, but its first ever trip in the MAAC title game, just its second season in the program’s MAAC tenure.
- The Warriors previously played in a pair of NEC Tournament championship games, winning the title in 2023 and finishing as runner-up in 2024.
- Merrimack will be seeking its program’s first ever NCAA Division I Tournament berth despite winning an NEC championship in 2023, due to NCAA transition rules that made the team ineligible for the NCAA tournament.
Marist Notes and Notables
- Marist was led by its usual suspects, in Blackwell, Collins-Roberts, Jaden Daughtry, and Justin Menard, which accounted for 46 points.
- Blackwell scored a team-high 15 points and added six rebounds.
- Collins-Roberts had 12 points, with seven rebounds, five assists, and a steal.
- Daughtry racked up 10 points and six rebounds.
- Menard chipped in with nine points and a team-high six assists.
- Marist outrebounded Merrimack (38-26).
- The Red Foxes also did most of its work in the paint, scoring more than half their points from close range (32)
No. 3 Siena – 63 | No. 7 Fairfield – 58
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
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Siena won a thriller over Fairfield in the second semifinal matchup, earning a 76-61 triumph. The game was close early and tied at 13 apiece when Siena scored 11 unanswered points from 12:38 to 9:17 to claim the lead for good. Siena would finish the first half with a 10 point cushion, leading 40-30.
The second half featured more of the same for Siena and the pair of Justice Shoats and Gavin Doty lit up the scoreboard. The Stags made it interesting midway through the half and got back within five at the 10:26 mark of the half. That would be the closest Fairfield would get as Siena would go on a 10-0 run to put them up 63-48 and put the contest out of reach.
Siena Notes and Notables
- The duo of Shoats and Doty combined for 51 points
- Shoats erupted for a season-high 26 points going a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and he handed out four assists.
- Doty scored 25 points connecting on 3-of-4 triples and going 10-of-11 at the line.
- Doty also had eight rebounds.
- Francis Folefac logged 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
- Siena had another near wire-to-wire win in the postseason, owning the lead for 38:35.
- Through two tournament games, the Saints have only trailed for 00:40.
- Siena is back in the championship finale for the first time in almost a decade last making an appearance in 2017, and the team will be participating in its 10th overall championship title game, tied for the second-most in MAAC history.
- The Saints own the second-most MAAC Championships in league history with its six trophies, last earning the title in 2020 and last making the NCAA tournament in 2010.
Fairfield Notes and Notables
- In the second straight game, Brandon Benjamin and Declan Wucherfennig each recorded double-doubles while a quartet of Stags scored in double-figures.
- Wucherfennig scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds, to go along with three assists, one steal and one block.
- Branden Sparks matched Wucherfennig with 13 points and handed out five assists to lead the offense.
- Tony Williams dropped 12 points and led the team with three steals.
- Benjamin finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
- Fairfield won the battle of the boards (41-34).
- The Stags also held advantages in points off turnovers (10-6), points in the paint (32-28), bench points (11-6), and fast break points (17-4).
For all information regarding the 2026 Air Force Reserve MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, please visit
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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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