2021-22 MOUNT ST. MARY'S MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Emmitsburg, Md. (August 24, 2021)—Fifteen home games, including a five-game homestand in December, highlight the 2021-22 Mount St. Mary's men's basketball schedule, announced today.  The defending Northeast Conference champions will open the season at Villanova on Tuesday, November 9.

"Overall, this schedule will challenge us and give us great opportunities to play some of the elite teams in the country while also playing six non-conference home games at Knott Arena in front of one of the best mid-major crowds in the country," said head coach Dan Engelstad.

The matchup with Villanova to open the season will be the first meeting between the two teams since Villanova's 76-56 win over the Mount in the NCAA First Round in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2017.  The home opener is slated for Thursday, November 11, against Washington College.  The defending NEC championships will celebrate with the championship banner unveiling that day.

A tough four-game road swing ensues with matchups against Saint Joseph's (Nov. 13), Kentucky (Nov. 16), Robert Morris (Nov. 19) and Ohio (Nov. 22).  The Mount will then host seven of the next nine games at Knott Arena, including a five-game homestand.  The stretch begins with back-to-back home contests against Navy (Nov. 27) and Howard (Nov. 30).

After a one-year hiatus, the Catholic Clash is back this season with the Mount heading to longtime rival Loyola on December 4.  This will be the 176^th all-time meeting between the two schools with the Mount holding a 100-75 advantage in the series. After a trip to Santa Clara on December 7, the Mount will host the next five games at Knott Arena.  The stretch includes non-conference matchups with American (Dec. 11), Morgan State (Dec. 18) and UMBC (Dec. 22).
 
"Coming off a championship season, we are looking to elevate our program and get back to the NCAA Tournament. Playing Villanova, Kentucky and Ohio University, a Sweet 16 team last season, and other strong programs will test us to see where we stand early in the season," said Engelstad.  "Our region has quality basketball and playing traditional local rivals in Loyola, Navy, UMBC, American along with Howard and Morgan State allows us to play strong local competition."

The five-game December homestand concludes with the opening of NEC play with home contests against Fairleigh Dickinson (Dec. 29) and Wagner (Dec. 31).  A four-game road trip follows to begin January, including a rematch of this year's championship game at Bryant on January 15.

"The NEC is as competitive from top-to-bottom that I can recall and every conference game will be hard-fought," said Engelstad.  "The league returns a ton of talent and the caliber of play and competition will be on display every night."

Knott Arena will be busy beginning in mid-January as the Mount will have five six games at home.  Home games included in that stretch are Sacred Heart (Jan. 21), Central Connecticut (Jan. 23), Saint Francis U (Jan. 29), Merrimack (Feb. 3) and Bryant (Feb. 5).  The regular season concludes with the Mount on the road for four of the final six games.  The NEC Tournament will be held March 2, 5 and 8.

Mount St. Mary's won the Northeast Conference championship in March, downing Wagner and Bryant on the road to earn the title.  The Mount finished with its first winning season and first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017.  The Mountaineers have won six NEC titles, including a league-best three over the past eight seasons.

Season tickets are on sale now.  For more information, click HERE.