ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Siena Basketball plays for a shot at its first title game appearance in nine years when the third-seeded Saints take on No. 7 seed Fairfield in the Air Force Reserve Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Quarterfinals Sunday at 8:30 p.m. at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. 
 
For fans coming to cheer on the Saints on the shore, tickets can be purchased by clicking the corresponding link. Siena fans making the trip are also welcome to join Siena Alumni for fan gatherings throughout the MAAC Championships in Atlantic City, and can RSVP to attend by logging onto sienasaints.com/maac26. For additional information regarding the 2026 Air Force Reserve MAAC Basketball Championships, log on to maacsports.com/basketball.
 
David Resnick, Freddie Coleman, and Chris Williams have the call of the game on ESPN+, which can be viewed by clicking the corresponding link. The "Voice of the Saints" Emmanuel Berbari and former Saint Andy Grazulis '92 will have the radio call of the game locally in the Capital Region on JAMZ 96.3 FM, with pregame coverage beginning at 8 p.m.
 
Siena (21-11) advanced to the MAAC Semifinals for the first time in six years less than 24 hours earlier, fending off a late charge from defending champion Mount St. Mary's. The Saints led by as many as 19 points with 19 minutes remaining, but held for a 63-58 triumph to secure the program's first postseason win since 2020. Siena also snapped a 12-game losing streak away from home in the month of March, dating back to that victory over Manhattan on the same court in the same round on Mar. 11, 2020.
 
The Saints are now focused on a return to the MAAC Championship Game for the first time in nine years. Siena is a remarkable 32-5 (.865) all-time in MAAC Tournament matchups as the higher-seeded team, which they will be for a second straight night on Sunday.
 
Meanwhile Fairfield (21-12) is looking to become the first No. 7 seed to advance to the MAAC Championship Game since they themselves accomplished the feat last back in 2021. Ironically, the Stags (1987, 2021) and Saints (2002) are the only seven seeds ever to advance to the title game in the 44-year history of the tournament.
 
Fairfield won games in consecutive days to get back to the MAAC Semifinals. The Stags had a day to recover Saturday after dispatching 10^th seed Manhattan 71-60 on Thursday night before upsetting the two-seed Saint Peter's 74-55 on Friday.
 
Siena leads the all-time series with Fairfield 49-36, including a 7-1 mark in the MAAC Tournament. However, all seven Saints wins have come in Albany, while the lone loss was in New Jersey (Trenton). Ironically, the programs will be meeting for the third time on Mar. 8, the 16-year anniversary of a Siena MAAC Semifinal win in 2009, and the 15^th anniversary of the Saints last championship won on the court, an overtime thriller back in 2010 in Albany.
 
The teams split the regular season series with each squad winning on its own homecourt. Siena posted their highest scoring output of the season in an 85-77 win at MVP Arena on Jan. 19 – and their lowest point total in a 72-58 setback in Connecticut nine days ago.
 
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