# 2021 MAAC men's basketball tournament

The 2021 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament was the postseason men's basketball tournament for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The tournament was played from March 8–13, 2021 at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the second year in a row. Since 2020's tournament was never fully completed, the defending champions were the 2018–19 Iona Gaels.
No. 9 seeded Iona won the 2021 MAAC Men's Basketball Tournament, defeating No. 7 seed Fairfield 60–51 in the championship game for their MAAC leading 13th championship. Their tournament run included knocking off top-seeded Siena in the quarterfinals, improving their record against the Saints in the MAAC Tournament to 11–0. This made it five consecutive MAAC Tournament championships for Iona, and the first time that a No. 9 seed reached and won the championship game. Iona received the MAAC's automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA tournament and were given a No. 15 seed.

## Seeds

All 11 teams in the conference participated in the tournament. The top five teams received byes to the quarterfinals. New procedures took effect for this season, as it was official that not all MAAC teams reached the originally scheduled 20 conference game mark. Team seeding was based on overall conference regular season wins – not including any third games scheduled between teams in lieu of non-conference opponents. A tiebreaker system to seed teams with identical conference records was also used.
| Seed | School | Conference | Tiebreaker 1 | Tiebreaker 2 | Tiebreaker 3 |
| 1 | Siena | 12–3 | 2 wins vs MON (1) | | |
| 2 | Monmouth | 12–6 | 0 wins vs SIE (2) | | |
| 3 | Saint Peter's | 10–8 | 1 win vs MAR [3] | 2 wins vs SIE & MON (3) | |
| 4 | Marist | 10–8 | 1 win vs SPC [3] | 1 win vs SIE & MON (4) | |
| 5 | Niagara | 7–9 | 3 wins vs CAN, FF, QUINN [5] | 0 wins vs CAN [5] | 2 wins vs SIE & MON (5) |
| 6 | Canisius | 7–5 | 3 wins vs NIA, FF, QUINN [5] | 0 wins vs NIA [5] | 1 win vs SIE & MON (6) |
| 7 | Fairfield | 7–11 | 2 wins vs NIA, CAN, QUINN [7] | 1 win vs QUINN [7] | 2 wins vs SPC & MAR (7) |
| 8 | Quinnipiac | 7–10 | 2 wins vs NIA, CAN, FF [7] | 1 win vs FF [7] | 1 win vs SPC & MAR (8) |
| 9 | Iona | 6–3 | 1 win vs MAN [9] | 2 wins vs SIE & MON (9) | |
| 10 | Manhattan | 6–12 | 1 win vs IONA [9] | 0 wins vs SIE & MON (10) | |
| 11 | Rider | 5–13 | | | |

## Schedule

| Session | Game | Time* | Matchup | Score | Television |
| First Round – Monday, March 8 |||||||
| 1 | 1 | 7:00 pm | No. 6 Canisius vs No. 11 Rider | 76–78 | ESPN+ |
| First Round– Tuesday, March 9 |||||||
| 2 | 2 | 5:00 pm | No. 8 Quinnipiac vs No. 9 Iona | 48–72 | ESPN+ |
| 2 | 3 | 7:30 pm | No. 7 Fairfield vs No. 10 Manhattan | 59–58$^{OT}$ | ESPN+ |
| Quarterfinals – Wednesday, March 10 |||||||
| 3 | 4 | 5:00 pm | No. 1 Siena vs No. 9 Iona | 52–55 | ESPN+ |
| 3 | 5 | 7:30 pm | No. 2 Monmouth vs No. 7 Fairfield | 60–79 | ESPN+ |
| Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 11 |||||||
| 4 | 6 | 5:00 pm | No. 3 Saint Peter's vs No. 11 Rider | 75–60 | ESPN+ |
| 4 | 7 | 7:30 pm | No. 4 Marist vs No. 5 Niagara | 62–67 | ESPN+ |
| Semifinals – Friday, March 12 |||||||
| 5 | 8 | 5:30 pm | No. 5 Niagara vs No. 9 Iona | 64–70 | ESPNews |
| 5 | 9 | 8:00 pm | No. 3 Saint Peter's vs No. 7 Fairfield | 47–52 | ESPNU |
| Championship – Saturday, March 13 |||||||
| 6 | 10 | 4:00 pm | No. 7 Fairfield vs No. 9 Iona | 51–60 | ESPNU |
| *Game times in ET. ( )-Rankings denote tournament seeding. *Attendance is restricted to family and special guests due to the COVID-19 pandemic |||||||

## Bracket

| First round Monday/Tuesday, March 8/9 | First round Monday/Tuesday, March 8/9 | First round Monday/Tuesday, March 8/9 | Quarterfinals Wednesday/Thursday, March 10/11 | Quarterfinals Wednesday/Thursday, March 10/11 | Quarterfinals Wednesday/Thursday, March 10/11 | Semifinals Friday, March 12 | Semifinals Friday, March 12 | Semifinals Friday, March 12 | Championship Saturday, March 13 | Championship Saturday, March 13 | Championship Saturday, March 13 |
| | | | 1 | Siena | 52 | | | | | | |
| | | | 9 | Iona | 55 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Quinnipiac | 48 | 9 | Iona | 55 | | | | | | |
| 9 | Iona | 72 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Iona | 72 | | | | 9 | Iona | 70 | | | |
| | | | | | | 5 | Niagara | 64 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Marist | 62 | | | | | | |
| | | | 5 | Niagara | 67 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 9 | Iona | 60 |
| | | | | | | | | | 7 | Fairfield | 51 |
| | | | 2 | Monmouth | 60 | | | | | | |
| | | | 7 | Fairfield | 79 | | | | | | |
| 7 | Fairfield | 59 | 7 | Fairfield | 79 | | | | | | |
| 10 | Manhattan | 58$^{OT}$ | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Manhattan | 58$^{OT}$ | | | | 7 | Fairfield | 52 | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | Saint Peter's | 47 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Saint Peter's | 75 | | | | | | |
| | | | 11 | Rider | 58 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Canisius | 76 | 11 | Rider | 58 | | | | | | |
| 11 | Rider | 78 | | | | | | | | | |
* denotes number of overtimes

## Game summaries
### First round

* ESPN+
* March 8, 2021 7:00 pm
* Recap
No. 6 Canisius 76, No. 11 Rider 78 :
| Scoring by half: 42–36, 34–42 |||
| Pts: Henderson – 16 Rebs: Harried – 8 Asts: Fofana – 3 M. Green – 13 pts, 6 reb, 2 blk | Pts: Murray, Jr. – 22 Rebs: McQuarter – 11 Asts: Murray, Jr. – 5 Powell – 19 pts, 2 stl |
* Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, NJ Attendance: 0 Referees: Ron Tyburski, Adam Vandenburgh, Matt Palumb
* ESPN+
* March 9, 2021 5:00 pm
* Recap
No. 8 Quinnipiac 48, No. 9 Iona 72 :
| Scoring by half: 20–25, 28–47 |||
| Pts: Kortright – 7 Rebs: Rigoni – 6 Asts: Lewis – 8 Kortright 4 reb, 1 stl | Pts: Ross – 15 Rebs: JeanLouis – 11 Asts: 4 tied – 2 van Eyck – 10 reb. Shema – 9 pts, 10 reb |
* Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, NJ Attendance: 0 Referees: Adam Vandenburgh, Ryan Corbett, Mike Kitts, Jr.
* ESPN+
* March 9, 2021 7:30 pm
* Recap
No. 7 Fairfield 59, No. 10 Manhattan 58 (OT) :
| Scoring by half: 16–25, 34–25 Overtime: 9–8 |||
| Pts: Cruz – 16 Rebs: Benning – 8 Asts: Green & Benning – 2 Wojcik – 15 pts, 5 reb. Benning – 9 pts, 3 stl | Pts: Nelson – 16 Rebs: Diallo & Nelson – 11 Asts: Stewart – 5 Buchanan – 9 pts, 6 reb, 3 blk |
* Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, NJ Attendance: 0 Referees: Ron Tyburski, Tony Meeks, Andy O'Brien

### Quarterfinals

* ESPN+
* March 10, 2021 5:00 pm
* Recap
No. 1 Siena 52, No. 9 Iona 55 :
| Scoring by half: 24–21, 28–34 |||
| Pts: Stormo – 14 Rebs: Pickett – 8 Asts: Pickett – 5 Pickett – 13 pts | Pts: Gist – 16 Rebs: Jr. Joseph & van Eyck – 8 Asts: Gist & Jr. Joseph – 3 Ross – 14pts, 7 reb. JeanLouis – 13 pts, 5 stl |
* Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, NJ Attendance: 0 Referees: Matt Palumb, Ryan Corbett, Mike Kitts, Jr.
* ESPN+
* March 10, 2021 7:30 pm
* Recap
No. 2 Monmouth 60, No. 7 Fairfield 79 :
| Scoring by half: 34–41, 26–38 |||
| Pts: M. Martin – 12 Rebs: McClary – 5 Asts: D. Hammond – 3 Papas – 9 pts, 3 stl, 3 reb | Pts: Benning – 24 Rebs: Cook – 14 Asts: C. Green – 4 Benning – 12 reb, 2 blk. Cook – 11 pts |
* Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, NJ Attendance: 0 Referees: Kal Sabie, Andy O'Brien, Adam Vandenburgh
* ESPN+
* March 11, 2021 5:00 pm
* Recap
No. 3 Saint Peter's 75, No. 11 Rider 60 :
| Scoring by half: 33–36, 42–24 |||
| Pts: Banks III – 20 Rebs: Ndefo – 7 Asts: Ndefo & Lee – 4 Ndefo – 18 pts, 1 blk, 1 stl | Pts: Murray, Jr. & Henderson, Jr. – 15 Rebs: Murray, Jr. – 5 Asts: Murray, Jr. – 5 Henderson, Jr. – 3 stl |
* Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, NJ Attendance: 0 Referees: Ron Tyburski, Tony Meeks, Matt Palumb
* ESPN+
* March 11, 2021 7:30 pm
* Recap
No. 4 Marist 62, No. 5 Niagara 67 :
| Scoring by half: 20–28, 42–39 |||
| Pts: Jones – 14 Rebs: Jones – 10 Asts: Wright & Sullivan – 2 Herasme – 11 pts, 7 reb | Pts: Solomon – 17 Rebs: M. Hammond – 9 Asts: Solomon – 4 Nwandu – 15 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk |
* Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, NJ Attendance: 0 Referees: Andy O'Brien, Michael Kitts, Ryan Corbett

### Semifinals

* ESPNews
* March 12, 2021 5:30 pm
* Recap
No. 9 Iona 70, No. 5 Niagara 64 :
| Scoring by half: 43–25, 27–39 |||
| Pts: Gist – 19 Rebs: Jr. Joseph – 9 Asts: Gist – 5 van Eyck – 14 pts, 5 reb | Pts: Solomon – 21 Rebs: Solomon – 8 Asts: M. Hammond – 5 Nwandu – 16 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl |
* Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, NJ Attendance: 0 Referees: Andy O'Brien, Adam Vandenburgh, Mike Kitts, Jr.
* ESPNU
* March 12, 2021 8:00 pm
* Recap
No. 7 Fairfield 52, No. 3 Saint Peter's 47 :
| Scoring by half: 22–24, 23–30 |||
| Pts: Green – 14 Rebs: Wojcik – 7 Asts: Cruz & Crisler – 2 Cruz – 12 pts, 3 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk | Pts: Edert & Ndefo – 11 Rebs: Ndefo – 12 Asts: Lee – 5 Ndefo – 5 blk |
* Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, NJ Attendance: 0 Referees: Ron Tyburski, Brandon Cruz, Ryan Corbett

### Championship

* ESPNU
* March 13, 2021 4:00 pm
* Recap
No. 9 Iona 60, No. 7 Fairfield 51 :
| Scoring by half: 30–18, 30–33 |||
| Pts: Gist – 18 Rebs: Jr. Joseph – 11 Asts: JeanLouis – 4 Jr. Joseph – 12 pts, 1 stl, 3 blk | Pts: Wojcik – 13 Rebs: Wojcik – 8 Asts: Green – 3 Benning – 11 pts, 4 reb. Wojcik – 3 stl |
* Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City, NJ Attendance: 0 Referees: Brandon Cruz, Andy O'Brien, Adam Vandenburgh

## Team and tournament leaders
### Team leaders

| Team | Points | Points | Rebounds | Rebounds | Assists | Assists | Steals | Steals | Blocks | Blocks | Minutes | Minutes | W – L |
| Canisius | J. Henderson | 16 | Harried | 8 | Fofana | 3 | Fritz | 2 | Green | 2 | J. Henderson | 36 | 0–1 |
| Fairfield | Wojcik | 51 | Benning | 30 | Green | 10 | Benning | 5 | Benning & Cruz | 4 | Wojcik | 153 | 3–1 |
| Iona | Gist | 65 | Jr. Joseph | 37 | Gist | 11 | JeanLouis | 9 | Jr. Joseph | 3 | Ross | 149 | 4–0 |
| Manhattan | Nelson | 16 | Nelson & Diallo | 11 | Stewart | 5 | Nelson & Ebube | 2 | Buchanan | 3 | Stewart | 40 | 0–1 |
| Marist | Jones | 14 | Jones | 10 | Wright & Sullivan | 2 | 3 tied | 1 | Bell | 2 | Herasme | 33 | 0–1 |
| Monmouth | Martin | 13 | McClary | 5 | D. Hammond | 3 | 3 tied | 3 | Ruth | 2 | Papas | 35 | 0–1 |
| Niagara | Solomon | 38 | M. Hammond | 14 | M. Hammond | 7 | MacDonald | 5 | Nwandu | 3 | M. Hammond | 76 | 1–1 |
| Quinnipiac | Kortright | 7 | Rigoni | 6 | Lewis | 8 | 5 tied | 1 | Pinkney & Chenery | 1 | Rigoni | 29 | 0–1 |
| Rider | Murray Jr. | 37 | McQuarter | 12 | Murray Jr. | 10 | McQuarter & Henderson Jr. | 3 | Henderson Jr. | 2 | Murray Jr. | 74 | 1–1 |
| Saint Peter's | Ndefo | 29 | Ndefo | 19 | Lee | 9 | Lee | 4 | Ndefo | 6 | Edert | 72 | 1–1 |
| Siena | Stormo | 14 | Pickett | 8 | Pickett | 5 | Camper | 3 | Stormo | 3 | Camper | 40 | 0–1 |

## All-championship team

* 2021 MAAC Men's Basketball All-Championship Team
* Raheem Solomon, Niagara – 19 ppg, 6.5 rpg
* KC Ndefo, Saint Peter's – 14.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3 bpg
* Jake Wojcik, Fairfield – 12.8 ppg, 6 rpg, 38.3 mpg
* Taj Benning, Fairfield – 11.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 37 mpg
* Berrick Jeanlouis, Iona – 8.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 36.8 mpg
* Isaiah Ross, Iona – 11.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 37.3 mpg
* $^{MVP}$ Asante Gist, Iona – 16.3 ppg, 2.8 apg, 32.8 mpg