NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College men's basketball team rallied from a 10-0 deficit to start the game in a 68-58 win over Fairfield in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at the Hynes Center. The Gaels' (15-6, 7-3 MAAC) coupled with a Saint Peter's victory on the road over Canisius forced a three-way tie for second place in the MAAC standings through 10 games.

Iona used a hot long distance shooting touch in the game to top the Stags (14-6, 7-3 MAAC), draining 11-of-26 three-point attempts compared to 10-for-24 from inside the arc.

With Fairfield leading 10-0 less than three minutes into the game, the Maroon & Gold slowly chipped away at the deficit and took a 18-17 lead with 8:15 to play on rookie Kyle Smyth's three-pointer from the win. Fairfield scored six of the next seven points to earn a 23-19 advantage on an Anthony Johnson dunk at 6:04. The Gaels began their three-point barrage, hitting three in an 11-0 run to take the lead for good. Senior Milan Prodanovic hit a two from the corner with a foot on the line to give Iona a 24-23. Prodanovic' tally was followed up by sophomore Jermel Jenkins and senior Jonathan Huffman's back-to-back three pointers. Fairfield's Yorel Hawkins scored twice from the charity stripe to make the margin 30-25 entering halftime.

In the second half, Hawkins' three-point play at 17:03 knotted the score 32-32. The Gaels continued their torrid shooting and went on a 17-6 run over the next 6:55. Back-to-back trifectas by Prodanovic and Huffman put the score at 49-38 with 11:08 to play. Iona's advantage never fell below eight the rest of the way. Jenkins, Prodanovic and sophomore Scott Machado combined for a 9-for-10 effort from the free throw line in the final 3:32 of the contest.

Iona's bench dominated the scoreboard, tallying 50 of Iona's 68 points. The Gaels' reserves out scored their opponents' 50-5. Jenkins led Iona with 14 points, seven assists and a steal. The senior tandem of Prodanovic and Huffman had 13 a piece in a combined 31 minutes with 6-of-12 shooting from downtown. Junior Alejo Rodriguez grabbed eight rebounds.

The Stags' Johnson had 25 points to lead scorers. Rookie Derek Needham added 15 while Hawkins had 11 in the loss.

The Gaels continue a three-game homestand on Thursday (Jan. 28) night when they take on Marist at the Hynes Center at 7:30 pm.