The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has announced both the men’s and women’s basketball schedules for the 2020-21 season. Both programs will compete in 20 regular season games against their conference opponents.
The men’s basketball team finished last season with a 12-8 conference record which earned them third place in the regular season. Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the MAAC tournament never got underway and the Hawks season came to a pre-mature end.
All games this season will be played on Tuesdays and Fridays and the Hawks will play each of their conference rivals twice this season. The Hawks had a highly anticipated matchup against North Carolina scheduled for the upcoming season, however due to the changes made as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, the fate of that matchup in unknown.
The men’s team will open their season on December 8th on the road against Niagara. They then face off against Canisius for to cap off their two-game road trip to end the season.
It is not until December 15th that the blue and white will host their home opener against Siena for their first matchup of the season. After their home opener, the Hawks head back on the road to face Manhattan on December 29th for what will be their last game of the calendar year.
Men’s basketball picks up right where they left off in 2020 as they play Fairfield at home on New Year’s Day to open up a two-game home stretch. On January 8th, they head back on the road.
From January 19th to February 2nd the Hawks have five games, with four of them being at the Monmouth’s home arena, the Ocean First Bank Center. After this long stretch of home games however Monmouth will play four of six games on the road to finish off the season.
In case games need to be postponed due to the coronavirus, there are no games scheduled in the last week of February. The MAAC tournament is scheduled to be hosted in Atlantic City from March 9th to the 13th.
Women’s basketball will also be playing 20 games against conference opponents this season, as they play each of their conference rivals twice, both home and away. All of the Women’s Basketball games will played on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Women’s basketball finished last season with a 5-15 conference record which earned them the ten seed in the MAAC tournament. They defeated Iona in the first round of the tournament but would go on to fall to the No. 2 seed Marist in the quarterfinals.
Women’s basketball will start off their season in Connecticut against Quinnipiac. The following game, the Hawks make their home opener against Canisius which is the first of a three-game home stand that also features Iona and Saint Peters before going on the road against Siena, their final game of 2020.
The Lady Hawks open up 2021 on January 2nd when they go up against Niagara at the Ocean First Bank Center. Their next four games alternate from home to away until they begin a two-game road trip against Rider and Saint Peters.
Their final eight games of the regular season will be four at home and four on the road. However, three of their last four games are all on the road. Monmouth’s regular season will conclude on March 6th as they will host Rider.
Similarly, to men’s basketball, the last week of February will be reserved for any make up games that may need to happen in case COVID-19 suspends them.
Both teams look to start the 2020-21 season on a high note after the previous year did not go as planned.
PHOTOS COURTESY of Monmouth Athletics
