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Rick Pitino, Iona Lose to Rider, Won't Appear in NCAA Tournament

Rick Pitino will not participate in March Madness.

Despite being the No. 1 overall seed in the MAAC tournament, Iona lost to Rider in the quarterfinals. The loss means Iona will not earn an automatic bid to the Men’s NCAA tournament, and the team is unlikely to receive an at-large bid.

Rider hung tight with Iona all game, down just two at halftime and outscoring the Gaels 43-40 in the second half to win 71-70. The two teams played twice in the regular season, with Iona coming out on top both times.

Iona made the tournament last year by winning the MAAC tournament as the No.