Box Score Las Vegas, NV- The Iona College men's basketball team dropped its sixth straight game to open the season in a 74-70 loss to Jackson State in the final game of the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Invitational. Sophomore De'Shaune Griffin scored a team-high 14 points in the loss.

The Gaels (0-6) fell behind early in the first half trailing by seven points just shy of six and a half minutes into the contest. Griffin's first of four three pointers in the game cut the deficit to two at the 11:31 mark. The Tigers (1-5) quickly regained their seven point lead and maintained a single-digit cushion throughout the remainder of the half taking a 34-29 lead into intermission.

In the second, a Milan Prodanovic three-pointer cut the deficit to 43-42 at the 15:33 mark. Jackson State rallied for an 11-0 run capped by a Darrion Griffin jumper to take a 12-point lead that the Gaels could not overcome. The Maroon & Gold threatened late in the game when sophomore Kevin Hassett drained a straightaway three pointer to make the score 73-70 with under 25 seconds to play. The clocked proved to be the enemy as the Gaels fell four points shy of the Tigers.

Griffin shot 4-of-6 from the field including 4-of-5 from behind the arc. Prodanovic added 11 points while Hassett and senior Dexter Gray had 10 points a piece. Gray added a team-high nine rebounds, leading the team in the statistic for the sixth straight game.

Jackson State sophomore Grant Maxey scored 15 of his game-high 23 points in the first half to lead the Tigers. He also grabbed nine rebounds in the win.

The contest completes a six-game road trip for the Gaels as the team heads back to New Rochelle for an ESPNU Bracketbusters rematch vs. Delaware on Friday (Nov. 30) night at the Hynes Center. Tipoff between the Gaels and Blue Hens is slated for 7:30 pm. The game can be heard an watched live on www.ICGaels.com.