WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ ­– A go-ahead layup in the final minute followed by a pair of clutch free throws helped lead the Iona College men's basketball team to a 76-73 victory at Monmouth earlier this evening during MAAC competition. 

Similar to the MAAC Championship Final last year, E.J. Crawford was responsible for the final go-ahead layup this evening with 32 seconds remaining. TK Edogi followed with a couple of free throws with five seconds left to lift the Gaels (12-7, 6-1 MAAC) to a fifth straight win.

Rickey McGill led all scorers with 18 points for the Maroon & Gold in addition to two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Crawford ended his night with 16 points while Edogi posted 12 points and nine rebounds, going 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Roland Griffin came off the bench for 15 points and seven rebounds, shooting 6-of-7 from the floor. 

Ray Salnave led Monmouth (5-13, 1-5 MAAC) with 16 points, three assists and two steals while Deion Hammond added 13 points behind a trio of 3-pointers.

Iona created the largest lead on the night with a 13-point margin of 42-29 with less than minute remaining in the first half following a Crawford jumper. However, Salnave scored five points in the last 10 seconds of the period to cut the deficit to 42-34 at the break.

Salnave scored all 16 of his points in the opening 20 minutes while Crawford led the Gaels with 11 points. Iona created a 19-13 rebounding margin in the half to post seven second chance points in addition to 13 points off 11 Monmouth turnovers.

The momentum Salnave created at the end of the first half continued into the second half for the Hawks as the home team tied the score at 47 less than seven minutes into the period before eventually taking the lead at 54-52 two minutes later.

Monmouth taking the lead was one of six lead changes in the half that included four in the last five minutes. Melik Martin broke a tie game of 70 with a jumper and a foul following an offensive rebound in the left corner to push the Hawks ahead by three with 1:30 to go. Griffin brought the Gaels within one point on a jumper less than 15 seconds later.

After a missed Monmouth layup on the next time down, Crawford drove in from the right wing and finished at the rim with 32 seconds left to give Iona the final lead change. Micah Seaborn's jumper fell off for the Hawks on the next possession as McGill up close on the attempt, leading to the rebound and free throws for Edogi. Austin Tilghman put up a jumper from the top of the key, however, the effort bounced off the backboard and rim and into Griffin's hands for the Iona win as time expired. 

The Gaels return to the Hynes Center this Sunday to face Canisius for a 1 pm start.