NCAA on Sling: Monmouth at Iona In The MAAC Championship Game
Hawks @ Gaels (7pm ET Monday, ESPN)
Monmouth, the number one seed in the MAAC tourney, fell behind Fairfield by nine with 5:54 to play in the first half of their MAAC semifinal showdown before awaking from their slumber to go on a 21-6 run and take the lead once and for all on their way to a 76-63 victory. Freshman Micah Seaborn led all scorers with 17, but it was 5’-8” guard Justin Robinson who filled up the box score with 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals. The win was the Hawks fifth in a row and 13th in their last 14 games.
The Iona Gaels, the number two seed in the conference tournament, find themselves in their fourth consecutive MAAC final, hoping to atone for losses in the previous two championship games. They’ve won seven in a row, and 11 of their last 12, most recently defeating Siena in the MAAC semifinals, 81-70. A.J. English, the Gaels leading scorer this season, again, led the charge, scoring 29 points on nine-of-19 shooting to go along with five assists and five steals on a night when the whole team had their shots dropping from all over: they made 52.5% from the floor, 47.6% from three-point land, and 90% from the charity stripe.
This is the third meeting of Monmouth and Iona since January 15. Monmouth won the first game 110-102 with Iona winning the second 83-76. The winner of today’s rubber match gets an automatic bid for March Madness.
Watch the Monmouth Hawks vs. Iona Gaels at 7pm ET Monday on ESPN.
All stats courtesy ESPN and Basketball Reference.