The Iona men’s and women’s basketball teams are set for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships, which are being held in Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, from March 7-11.
 

Both teams won the MAAC regular season, securing the first place seed before the regular season games ended.  

The women’s team finished with a 23-6 overall record, 18-2 in conference play, while the men finished with a 24-7 record overall and 17-3 in conference play. The women’s team won the conference by 2 games, while the men won the MAAC by 4 games.
 

The women’s team came into the season ranked fifth in the MAAC preseason poll, but they outperformed expectations to win the regular season, thanks to a 16-game win streak which spanned from Dec. 31 to March 2. 

The women matched the program record for conference wins with 18 and their 23 total wins is also their most since the 2015-16 season and third most in program history.  

Iona’s only two losses of the season came in their second game against Fairfield University where they lost 43-49 and in the penultimate game of the season where Marist College snapped their 16-game winning streak, beating them 60-70.
 

Iona’s teams both winning the MAAC regular season title meant they joined only three other programs who had both their men’s and women’s teams win the conference. University of Vermont (America East), University of Toledo (Mid-American) and Gonzaga University (West Coast).  

While the women’s team was not expected to win the regular season, the men’s team was ranked first on the MAAC preseason coaches’ poll and were the favorites to win. However, at the halfway point in the season, the Gaels had already lost three MAAC matches and trailed Rider University and Siena College in the standings. The Gaels then went on to win their last 11 MAAC matches in a row to take the regular season crown with two games to spare.
 

Both the men’s and women’s teams will open their MAAC Championship on Wednesday, March 8, with the women’s team set to play at 1 P.M, while the men have a 7 P.M. tipoff.
 

Both teams will face either Mount Saint Mary’s University or Canisius College in the quarterfinal round as these two teams play in both the men’s and women’s tournaments in the first round.  

Should the women’s team win their quarterfinal match, they will set up a semi-final against either the number 4 seed Siena College or the number 5 seed Fairfield University, which is set to be played on Friday, March 10 at 11 A.M. The women’s MAAC Championship game is scheduled for Saturday, March 11 at 3:30 P.M. 

If the men manage to win their quarterfinal match, they will set up a semi-final against either the number 4 seed Siena College or the number 5 seed Niagara University on Friday March 10 at 11 A.M. The men’s MAAC Championship game is scheduled for March 11 at 7:30 P.M.