EDISON, NJ – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) today announced, that the men's basketball rivalry matchup between Iona University and Manhattan University will be flexed to ESPNU as part of the MAAC Wildcard Game package. The Friday, February 21, meeting will tip at 7 p.m. at the Hynes Athletics Center in New Rochelle, NY.
New York Metropolitan Area rivals and two of the most successful programs in MAAC history, Iona and Manhattan rank first and third, respectively, in MAAC Championships, combining to win 19 total. The Gaels have claimed a league-most 14 titles, last winning the conference crown in 2023. The Jaspers own five MAAC titles, tied for third-most, last claiming a league trophy in 2015.
It will be the third time in the past four seasons the two rivals will appear on ESPNU at the Hynes Center. For Iona this will be the team's fourth flexed game dating back to 2021-22, and for the Jaspers it will be their third game on the network over that time span. The Friday night matchup on February 21 will be the second meeting of the regular season for the rivals, with the two first playing on January 31 in Riverdale, NY, with Manhattan earning a 76-55 home victory over Iona.
The Iona Gaels (11-13, 8-5 MAAC) are in fourth place on the MAAC leaderboard and riding a three-game winning streak. The Gaels are coming off of a, 75-71, road win over then first place Marist University on Saturday, and are winners of six out of seven, with their lone loss during the stretch being the aforementioned contest against Manhattan. One of the best defensive units nationally, Iona ranks third in the nation in steals per game (10.3) and fourth in the NCAA in turnovers forced per game (16.58). They also lead the MAAC with 14.96 offensive rebounds per game, a mark that is third in the country. Iona's upcoming slate will include a home matchup with Rider University (February 14) and a road game at Quinnipiac University (February 16).
The Manhattan Jaspers (11-10, 6-6 MAAC) sit in the top half of the conference standings, currently in a tie for sixth place with Mount St. Mary's University. The Jaspers have won four out of their last six, last defeating Saint Peter's, 84-83, at home this past Saturday. Manhattan is one of the best MAAC teams at the charity stripe, leading the league in free throw percentage (.766), while ranking second in both free throws made per game (14.6) and free throw attempts per game (19.1). Manhattan will host first place Merrimack College (February 14) and travel to Fairfield University (February 16) this week ahead of the ESPNU game.
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. Future MAAC wildcard matchups will be announced at later dates.
The 2024-25 campaign culminates with the 2025 Hercules Tires MAAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships from March 11-15 at Atlantic City's Historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for the sixth consecutive year dating back to 2020. For all information regarding the 2025 Hercules Tires MAAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, please visit
MAACSports.com/basketball and by following @MAACHoops and #MAACHoops on Twitter.
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