Box Score Andrew Kahn will be writing feature and postgame articles for Iona basketball for
ICGaels.com in the 2009-10 season. A New Rochelle High School
graduate, he holds an English degree from the University of Michigan
and currently works for the non-profit Dana Foundation. In addition to
his work for ICGaels.com, Andrew writes for his own blog,
www.TheSportsJournalists.com.
RIVERDALE, NY – Everyone in the gym knew that Rico Pickett was going to take the final shot. Few, however, thought he'd fail to get the ball in the air.
Iona's swarming defense - led by sophomore Jermel Jenkins - stopped the Manhattan star from even getting off a shot and the Iona College men's basketball team won their fifth-straight game 56-53.
Pickett had 22 points and was the Jaspers go-to guy on their final few possessions, especially since senior co-star Darryl Crawford had to come out of the game with a minor leg injury. But the Gaels were ready to shut down the 6-4 junior.
"Coach knew that he was going to get it," Jenkins said of Pickett. "He just said, 'contain him and when he shoots, to try and contest the shot, and hopefully he'll miss it.'"
Nobody at Draddy Gymnasium will ever know if he would have missed it. Jenkins got a finger on the ball and Kyle Smyth picked it up and was fouled. He calmly stepped to the line and made both free throws, extending the lead to three and forcing a desperation heave from half court to end the game.
Iona head coach Kevin Willard had high praise for his sophomore guard, who finished with only five points but made his biggest contributions on the defensive side. "I really think when Mel puts his mind to it and decides to play defense on somebody, he can lock up anybody in the country,"
That's why he had him on Pickett on the final possession of the game, a move that paid off.
It was a team effort on the defensive end for the Gaels though as they held Manhattan to only three points in the final 6:59, and scoreless over the final 3:57. For the game the Jaspers shot 32.8% from the field and committed 17 turnovers.
It wasn't a highlight-worthy night on offense for Iona but it was a major improvement from last year's game at Draddy.
"I think we had more points in the first half than we did all (of last year's game)," Willard joked.
He wasn't far off. Iona's 32 first half points were only seven points shy of their total output in last year's contest. Freshmen guards Rashard McGill and Smyth led the way for the Gaels. McGill finished with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting and added seven rebounds while Smyth posted 10 and 9.
Willard believes the 18 road games his team played a season ago has toughened his players and prepared them mentally for what it takes to win away from home. The Gaels are now 14-6 overall, going 7-2 in true road games. They have ve won three in a row on the road and their five-game winning streak is the longest since January 2006.
The win puts Iona at 6-3 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and sets up a battle for sole possession of second place in the conference with Fairfield on Sunday afternoon at the Hynes Athletics Center — not a bad match-up considering the Stags and Gaels were picked fourth and ninth, respectively, in the preseason poll.
