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Iona University Athletics

Mo Thiam
55
Stetson Stet 2-3
60
Winner Iona College ION 1-2
Stetson Stet
2-3
55
Final
60
Iona College ION
1-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Stetson Stet 24 31 55
Iona College ION 25 35 60

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Jonathan Stanko

Iona MBB Takes Down Stetson, 60-55

Agee notches double-double as Iona wins inaugural MAAC-ASUN Challenge contest

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – The Iona College men's basketball program won its first game of the 2019-20 season against Stetson on Friday night at the HP Field House in ESPN's Wide World of Sports. Senior Tajuan Agee notched a double-double and helped carry the Gaels to a 60-55 defensive victory against the Hatters in the MAAC-ASUN Challenge's inaugural contest.

GAME SUMMARY

Iona's offensive flow was stagnant in the opening five minutes of the game. Senior E.J. Crawford nailed an elbow jumper five minutes in for the Gaels' first field goal to make the score 7-4 in Stetson's favor. The Maroon & Gold got their first lead of the game, 10-9, on a pair of free throws from junior Isaiah Ross following the under 12-minute media timeout.

The Hatters won the next four-minutes and took a 16-12 lead into the next media break. Iona was battling through shooting woes from beyond the arc until junior Asante Gist hit his first of two opening half three-pointers. Gist's trifecta and another elbow jumper from Crawford put the Maroon & Gold ahead, 17-16 with 5:50 to go before halftime.

The Maroon & Gold didn't make a field goal in the last 3:31 of the half, but free throws from Agee over the final 63 seconds insured a 25-24 lead at the break.

Neither Iona nor Stetson had offensive halves to remember. The two schools combined to shoot 4-for-25 from behind the arc and each had eight turnovers. The Gaels struggled from the free throw line in the first half, hitting on 7-of-14. Agee carried the Gaels in the opening 20 minutes with eight points and six rebounds. Crawford and Gist both made a pair of field goals as well.

The first momentum swing in the second half came from the Hatters. A 7-0 run put Iona in an eight-point hole, 39-31, with 13:52 on the clock. After acting head coach Tra Arnold called timeout, the Gaels got back within two, 39-37. Stetson hit its third three-pointer of the second half, after having just two in the first half, to go back up two possessions.

The Maroon & Gold continued to battle uphill and got back within a pair, 46-44, with 8:45 left, following a three-pointer from junior Isaiah Washington and a free throw line jumper from Gist. Washington then made a pair of free throws, following a deliciously spicy pass from Agee, to tie the game. The Gaels forced a turnover and had an offensive possession with three chances to take the lead, but instead it remained knotted up until there was less than five minutes remaining in regulation.

Crawford put the Maroon & Gold ahead 48-46 with 4:48 on the clock. On Stetson's next possession, Washington had sneaky hands and got a steal on the defensive end, leading to a Crawford fast break bucket assisted by Gist.

Iona found its offensive groove in the most critical moments as the game wrapped up, making five of its last six field goals. As the final 90 seconds ticked away, the Gaels got a pair of dagger three-point field goals from Agee and Crawford to lasso up the 60-55 victory.

STATISTICAL LEADERS

  • Agee led all scorers with 15 points. He shot 4-for-5 from the floor and 6-of-11 from the free throw line. Agee also had a game-high 12 rebounds. It's Agee's 10 double-double donning the Maroon & Gold. The Gaels are 5-5 in games where Agee has a double-double.
  • Crawford scored 12 points and had six rebounds. Defensively he had two steals. Both Crawford and Agee played 36 minutes.
  • Gist finished with 11 points and three three-point field goals. He led all players with six assists in addition to five rebounds.
  • Off the bench, Washington and Ross combined for 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Washington had four assists, six rebounds and seven points. Ross had nine points, three rebounds in 23 minutes.
  • Stetson had three players in double-figures. Jahil Rawley and Christiaan Jones each had 11 points. Mahamadou Diaware had seven rebounds and Kenny Aninye collected five steals.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • The Maroon & Gold battled through spouts of offensive woes throughout the game to secure the win. The Gaels shot 39.6% from the floor and 27.6% from beyond the arc. The charity stripe wasn't a welcomed reprieve as Iona shot 51.9% from the line.
  • The Gaels shot 42.3% from the floor and 35.3% from beyond the arc in the second half. In comparison, they shot 36.4% and 16.7%, respectively, in the first half.
  • Iona had a 12-5 edge in offensive rebounds. The Gaels scored 13 fast break points.
  • Iona had season-lows in turnovers (14), blocks (2), steals (5) and points (60).
  • The Maroon & Gold improve to 3-0 all-time against the Stetson Hatters. Friday night's action is the dire contrast to their most recent match in 1991 when the Gaels won 105-102 in overtime. Iona is 12-2 all-time against Atlantic Sun opponents.

UP NEXT

Iona wraps up the MAAC-ASUN Challenge tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m. at the HP Field House within the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex. The Maroon & Gold tip-off against Kennesaw State on ESPN3. Fans can also follow the game via live stats.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Be sure to follow Iona College athletics on all social media platforms:
ICGaels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
Iona Men's Basketball: Twitter, Facebook. Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)




 
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