Box Score NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College men's basketball team proved that its performance from the night before was no fluke in a 75-55 rout of Valparaiso in its second game at the 2008 USVI Paradise Jam. The Gaels built an early cushion on the foundation of a solid defense and held on for the 20-point victory.
"A great all-around performance against a well coached Valparaiso team," said head coach
Kevin Willard. "This is a great step forward for our program as we continue to build the foundation in returning to one of the top teams in the Metro Area."
Junior
Milan Prodanovic had a breakout game shooting 6-for-10 from the field including five three pointers in his 19-point, 22-minute effort. Senior
Gary Springer, limited to just 12 minutes due to foul trouble, posted 12 points and four rebounds and sophomore
Rashon Dwight added 10 of his own in the win.
The Gaels got strong efforts from their rookie point guards as
Scott Machado posted seven points, seven assists, five rebounds and just two turnovers in 19 minutes.
Jermel Jenkins recorded four points, six rebounds and four assists with a turnover in 23 minutes. Jenkins along with junior
Jonathan Huffman led the squad with their six boards. Eleven different players played double-digit minutes in the victory.
After falling behind 5-0 in the first 30 seconds of the game on two transition field goals by Valparaiso, the Gaels truly clamped down on defense and allowed just two field goals the rest of the way. Iona held the Crusaders to just 2-for-28 shooting (7.1%) over the stretch and built and 18 point, halftime advantage at 33-15.
The Gaels stretched their lead a season-best 24 points on two occasions in the half. Two Springer free throws at 16:27 put Iona ahead 43-19. Dwight put the Gaels ahead by the same margin with 6:19 to play on two free throws of his own.
The Maroon & Gold held Valpo to under 30% field goal shooting (28.8%) for the game just the second time in the last three years. They out rebounded their opponent 44-28, also the second highest total since 2006.
The Gaels will play for fourth place in the Paradise Jam on Monday afternoon when they take on Southern Miss at 3:30 pm ET. After falling to Miami in their opening game, the Golden Eagles completed an improbable comeback to defeat La Salle in overtime on Saturday night.
