Box Score ALBANY, NY – A 14-6 run to end the first half helped the Iona College men's basketball create a 10-point halftime margin and help secure a 77-66 victory against MAAC rival Siena earlier this evening at the Times Union Center in Albany.
A pair of 20-point performances also helped the Maroon & Gold (14-8, 7-4 MAAC) pick up the road win as Rickey McGill once again rewrote his career-high with 22 points to go with six rebounds and two steals. Meanwhile, Deyshonee Much tallied 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting that included 5-of-8 from beyond the arc to go along with seven rebounds. E.J. Crawford chipped in 13 points and two assists.
Javion Ogunyemi and Marquis Wright each led Siena (9-13, 6-5 MAAC) with 16 points while Brett Bisping notched a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds. The Saints earned a rebounding margin of 40-35 while also outscoring the Gaels 38-30 in the paint.
Iona never trailed in the contest, as two ties within the first six minutes were the closest Siena came to a lead throughout the contest. With Iona leading 30-28 following a Ogunyemi layup with a 4:11 remaining in the first half, a Tyrell Williams layup sparked the 14-6 run to end the half on the other end.
McGill scored 11 of the Gaels' first 15 points, finishing the first 20 minutes with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting as Iona led 44-34 at the break. Sam Cassell Jr. took over point guard duties in the period, passing out five assists to help the Maroon & Gold post a 54.5 shooting percentage (18-for-33) in the half.
After Siena notched the first basket of the second half on a Bisping jumper, Iona strung together an 8-0 run to extend the margin to 16 points as Jon Severe and Much knocked back-to-back 3-pointers followed by a McGill layup. The Severe 3-pointer gave the Maroon & Gold a double-digit lead for a remainder of the game.
A 15-4 run, capped off by a Crawford layup, gave the Gaels their largest lead of 21 points with 8:07 remaining. Six 3-pointers in the second half helped Iona reach 10 3-pointers in a single game for the 13th time this season, moving to 12-1 in those games with the final of 77-66.
Iona returned to the Times Union Center this evening for the first time since winning the MAAC Championship last March against Monmouth, earning an automatic NCAA bid.
Looking ahead, the Maroon & Gold return to New Rochelle on Sunday with a 4:00 pm contest against Saint Peter's at 4:00 pm on Sunday.
Additional Recaps:
● 1/27/17 - NY Journal News - Josh Thomson - Iona tops Siena 77-66 behind McGill's 22 points
● 1/27/17 - Fox Sports - AP - McGill, Much leads Iona to fourth straight victory
● 1/27/17 - Daily Gazette - Michael Kelly - Siena defenseless in loss to Iona
● 1/27/17 - Times Union - Mark Singelais - Siena men fall flat in loss to Iona
● 1/27/17 - Daly Dose of Hoops - Jaden Daly - McGill, Much exploit lack of emotion in road win over Siena
● 1/27/17 - Times Union - Mark Singelais - Siena basketball loses at home to Iona for seventh straight time
