Unbalanced schedules await Marist when MAAC basketball commences in December

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference released its basketball schedules for 2024-25 with league play getting underway on the weekend of Dec. 6-8.

With Merrimack and Sacred Heart joining from the Northeast Conference, there will be an uneven number of 13 teams; this will necessitate an unbalanced schedule for the first time since 2018-19.

Both Marist teams will play home-and-home series with Canisius, Fairfield, Iona Merrimack, Mount Saint Mary’s, Niagara, Saint Peter’s and Siena. The Red Foxes will face Quinnipiac and Rider at home for the men and on the road for the women; the men will travel and the women will host Manhattan and Sacred Heart.

The Marist men will host Mount Saint Mary’s in the MAAC home opener on Friday, Dec. 6, and travel to Manhattan on Sunday, Dec. 8.

The Marist women will open MAAC play at Mount Saint Mary’s on Thursday, Dec. 19 and will play the home opener against Manhattan on Saturday, Dec. 21.

The Marist men posted their most successful season in years, going 18-13 overall and 12-8 in MAAC play. The Red Foxes beat Niagara in the MAAC tourney quarterfinals and bowed 65-61 to Fairfield in the semifinals.

In 2023-24, the Marist women went 6-25 and 4-16 in MAAC play during the inaugural season for coach Erin Doughty. The Red Foxes beat Rider, Niagara, Mount Saint Mary’s in early January, lost 12 in a row and toppled Manhattan in the penultimate game. Marist lost to Mount Saint Mary’s 60-47 in the MAAC tourney opening round.

The non-league portion of the Red Foxes’ schedules will be announced at a later time – action should start in the second week of November.

Kmcmillan@th-record.com

X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

All games subject to change; start times to be announced later

Marist men MAAC schedule

December

Fri 6 – vs. Mount Saint Mary’s*; Sun. 8 – at Manhattan*

January

Sun. 5 – vs. Quinnipiac*; Sun. 12 – vs. Fairfield*; Thur. 16 – at Saint Peter’s*; Sat. 18 – vs. Rider*; Thur. 23 – at Niagara*; Sat. 25 – at Canisius*; Fri. 31 – vs. Siena*

February

Thur. 6 – at Fairfield*; Sat. 8 – vs. Iona*; Fri. 14 – at Siena*; Sun. 16 – at Merrimack*; Fri. 21 – vs. Canisius*; Sun. 23 – vs. Niagara*; Fri. 28 – at Sacred Heart*

March

Sun. 2 – vs. Saint Peter’s*; Thur. 6 – vs. Merrimack*; Sat. 8 – at Mount Saint Mary’s*; Tues. 11-Sat. 15 – MAAC tournament at Atlantic City, N.J.

Marist women MAAC schedule

December

Thur. 19 – at Mount Saint Mary’s; Sat. 21 – vs. Manhattan

January

Thur. 2 – vs. Iona; Sat. 4 – at Quinnipiac; Sat. 11 – at Fairfield; Thur. 16 – vs. Saint Peter’s; Sat. 18 – at Rider*; Thur. 23 – vs. Niagara*; Sat. 25 – vs. Canisius*; Thur. 30 – at Siena*

February

Thur. 6 – vs. Fairfield*; Sat. 8 – at Iona; Thur. 13 – vs. Siena*; Sat. 15 – vs. Merrimack*; Thur. 20 – at Canisius*; Sat. 22 – at Niagara*; Thur. 27 – vs. Sacred Heart*

March

Sat. 1 – at Saint Peter’s; Thur. 6 – at Merrimack; Sat. 8 – vs. Mount Saint Mary’s*; Tues. 11-Sat. 15 – MAAC tournament at Atlantic City, N.J.

Home games at Poughkeepsie’s McCann Arena; asterisk marks Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games; all MAAC and home games to be aired on ESPN Plus (subscription) and potentially on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Unbalanced schedules await Marist when MAAC basketball commences in December