LEWISTON, NY – The Iona College men's basketball team went perfect from the free throw line in overtime this evening to upend Niagara 98-93 on the road in the 2017-18 MAAC opener.

The Maroon & Gold (7-6, 1-0 MAAC) went 11-for-11 during the extra session to help outscore the Purple Eagles (7-7, 0-1 MAAC) 20-15 in overtime to earn the victory. Rickey McGill led the way with four made attempts while E.J. Crawford added three.

Roland Griffin led six players in double-figures on the evening for the Gaels behind a career-high 20 points to go along with a career-best 11 rebounds for the double-double. TK Edogi also posted a double-double, his third of the season, with 12 points and a career-high 16 boards. McGill and Zach Lewis each tallied 16 points while Deyshonee Much added 15 and E.J. Crawford netted 11.

Niagara was led by 20 points from both Kahlil Dukes and Matt Scott. Scott also contributed 13 rebounds while Dukes recorded five assists and two steals. Marvin Prochet was the fourth individual to record a double-double on the evening, posting 16 points and 15 rebounds.

Following a halftime score of 37-37, Iona used a 19-2 run to open the second half towards a 17-point lead just over four minutes into the period at 56-39. However, the Purple Eagles quickly responded with a 23-7 spurt that included 13 straight points to get within one point at 63-62 with 9:44 left in regulation.

After the Gaels pushed the lead back to seven points on two occasions, Niagara to claim a 72-71 advantage with 2:56 remaining. McGill gave the lead back to the Maroon & Gold before one made free throw from Dukes tied the game at 73 with less than two minutes left.

Despite Iona creating a pair of 3-point margins late, Niagara was able to take advantage of a missed free throw from McGill as Prochet put in a second-chance layup to tie the game at 78 with eight second remaining and force overtime. A last second attempt from Much fell short as the two teams prepared for another five minutes.

To open the overtime period, Dukes answered a jumper from Griffin with a couple of free throws to even the score at 80. Two possessions later, Schadrac Casimir gave Iona the lead for good at 83-80. Following layups from Much and Crawford, the Gaels converted 11 straight free throws to edge out the victory in overtime.

Iona ended the night shooting 26-for-32 from the line, including 19-of-21 after halftime. Meanwhile, the Gaels knocked down eight 3-pointers compared to just four for Niagara.

The Western New York trip concludes Sunday for the Maroon & Gold at Canisius for the final game of the 2017 calendar year. Tip-off is set for 1:00 pm.