The Lady Jaspers prepare for their 2025 MAAC Championship debut.
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Brooke Della Rocco, News Editor
Following last year’s upset at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tournament, all eyes will fall to Manhattan University’s men’s and women’s basketball teams for redemption.
Last season, men’s basketball was seeded tenth and fell 60-57 in the opening round of the MAACs to Iona University. This year, they finished the regular season seeded in fifth, finishing 17-12 overall and 12-8 in MAAC play. The team will take on the fourth seeded Iona on Thursday night for the quarterfinals round.
“Iona is going to be a real challenge for us,” Head Coach John Gallagher said. “They press, they’re number four in the country in offensive rebounding, they’re number five in the country in forcing turnovers…We have to make sure that we’re really strong with the ball and our intensity is high.”
With pressure rising for the upcoming match, sophomore Jaden Winston, a season standout, spoke on how the team is focusing up for this monumental moment.
“I feel like all of us sacrifice personal accolades for this year, personal incentives for the betterment of the team, and now it’s time to put it to solution these next three games, one at a time, getting it done,” Winston said.
The men’s team seems particularly confident heading into the week, crediting a change in their approach to the tournament. Gallagher spoke on how he has grown as a coach, and what the team has implemented to get to this comfortable position.
“My assistant coaches, they deserve a lot of credit,” Gallagher said. “They did a great job recruiting, and we solidified the depth of our roster, which is very impressive. And then, you know, this is my 14th year as a head coach. I never panic. I sort of expect the unexpected. I think a place like Manhattan, you have to expect the unexpected.”
With the implementation of recruiting, repetition in plays and the idea that “less is more,” Gallagher is confident in his players’ ability to bring home a trophy.
The Lady Jaspers have also stepped into this week hungry to take home a title after playing in the MAAC Championship game two times in the last three years. Last season, women’s basketball lost in the quarterfinals and now approach this week with redemption as the goal. They are currently seeded eighth, finishing 15-14 overall and 9-11 in MAAC play.
Head Coach Heather Vulin is extremely optimistic and confident in her team’s performance despite previous challenges with sickness and injury.
“I think people are going to take us for granted, to be honest with you, just because we didn’t have the best regular season,” Vulin said. “I feel like we got a big chip on our shoulder and have something to prove. So, I think that’s going to be a huge strength for us.”
Senior guard Nitzan Amar has had an extremely impressive finish to the regular season, averaging 11 points-per-game in the last five games. Amar mentioned what she believes is her team’s biggest strength when they take the court.
“I think our chemistry, we worked on it since day one,” Amar said. “We spend lots of time together on the court and off the court, so I think it would be great to bring into the tournament.”
Vulin is finishing up her ninth year with the Lady Jaspers, and commented on her excitement for the week.
“Each year I take away something new that I feel makes me stronger and better as a coach, from the MAAC tournament in terms of how to prepare, [and] what is going to be best for our players to help them be successful,” Vulin said. “This was the first year not every team made it, so it’s also something they earned to get there.”
With their team motto of “no excuses,” and a strong aggression to take onto the court, women’s basketball will face Canisius University, seeded ninth, on Tuesday for the first round.
While the pressure heats up, Gallagher wants to leave his players with a simple message.
“Love this time of year,” Gallagher said. “That’s why you do what you do. If you fear this time of year you won’t play well. You get up every morning since you’ve been seven, eight years old, you watch March Madness, and [now] you get a chance to participate in it.”