Per the MAAC:
EDISON, N.J. – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) today announced, that the men's basketball rivalry matchup between Manhattan University and Iona 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 Athletic Center in New Rochelle, NY.
New York City 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 with Saint Peter's University, last claiming back-to-back league trophies in 2014 and 2015. This will be the second flexed contest between the two rivals over the past four seasons, having last played on ESPNU during their January 14, 2022 game in New Rochelle. 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 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 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 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.
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