The madness started early in the MAAC tournament as the top three seeds (Rider, Canisius, and Niagara) were all bounced in the quarterfinals, making it open season for the other teams left standing. No. 4 seed Iona and No. 6 Fairfield took advantage of this situation and made it all the way to the championship game.
MAAC Tournament 2018: Bracket, schedule, scores, teams, and more
Rider, Canisius, and Niagara were the top three seeds in the MAAC Tournament.
Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
However, after the dust settled and the clock struck 0:00, the Iona Gaels were left standing as they defeated Fairfield, 83-71, to go back to the NCAA tournament for the third straight year. This was also the sixth straight appearance in the MAAC championship game for Iona, which will be looking to win a game in the Big Dance for the first time since 1980.
The Stakes
When it comes to the one-bid conference tournaments, expect the unexpected. This motto can be applied to this year’s MAAC tourney as Rider comes in as the No. 1 seed, but was upset in their first game. No. 2 seed Canisius was a co-favorite, having finished with the same conference tournament record as Rider (15-3), but they were upset in their first game, too.
With Rider and Canisius upset, No. 3 seed Niagara are favorites to win the conference crown.
The Format
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament is single elimination, featuring all 11 conference teams. The top three seeds face the winners of the No. 8/9, No. 7/10, and No. 6/11 matchups, while the No. 4/5 matchup is the only set quarterfinal matchup. If you are one of the top five teams, it will take three victories to win the title.
The Bracket & Schedule
Here is the full tournament bracket and day-by-day schedule. Game times are subject to change. We’ll be updating it with results along the way.
Source: MAAC
Thursday, March 1 — First Round
Game 1: No. 9 Saint Peter’s 60, No. 8 Monmouth 58
Game 2: No. 7 Quinnipiac 67, No. 10 Siena 58
Game 3: No. 6 Fairfield 71, No. 11 Marist 57
Friday, March 2 — Quarterfinals
Game 4: No. 9 Saint Peter’s 66, No. 1 Rider 55
Game 5: No. 7 Quinnipiac 72, No. 2 Canisius 69
Saturday, March 3 — Quarterfinals
Game 6: No. 3 Niagara 77 vs. No. 6 Fairfield 90
Game 7: No. 4 Iona 72 vs. No. 5 Manhattan 60
Sunday, March 4 — Semifinals
Game 8: No. 9 Saint Peter’s 62, No. 4 Iona 65
Game 9: No. 7 Quinnipiac 64, No. 6 Fairfield 74
Monday, March 5 — Championship Game
Game 10: No. 4 Iona 83, No. 6 Fairfield 71
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