LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – The Iona College men's basketball program improved to 2-2 in the early season with a convincing 75-52 win over Kennesaw State in non-conference action at HP Pavilion in ESPN's Wide World of Sports. Senior
Tajuan Agee posted his second straight double-double with 20 points and 10 boards, leading six Gaels with eight or more points in the win. For his efforts in the two games in Florida, Agee was named MVP of the inaugural MAAC/ASUN Challenge.
GAME SUMMARY
Iona led wire-to-wire, scoring the first bucket of the game and never looking back. The Maroon & Gold took its first double-digit lead eight minutes into the game on senior
Ben Perez' three-point field goal that made the score 19-9. The Gaels hot start was helped by five straight makes from beyond the arc. Iona led by as many as 23 points with just over five minutes to play in the first half following a conventional three-point play by Agee. Kennesaw State closed to within 18 points and both teams remained scoreless over the final 3:16 of the frame with the Gaels leading 41-23 at the break.
A pair of Agee free throws with 4:46 remaining gave Iona its largest lead of the game, 73-38. Iona emptied its bench and the Owls finished the game on a 14-2 run to close the final margin to 75-52.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Agee's second straight double-double was his 11th in two seasons and sixth with at least 20 points.
- Senior E.J. Crawford added 11 points and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. Foul trouble in the first half and Gaels' big lead limited Crawford to just 22 minutes played. It was the first time since the final game of the 2017-18 campaign he played less than 30 minutes in a contest.
- Junior Dylan van Eyck had a breakout effort in his fourth game as a Gael. The Dutchman posted 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots while connecting on 3-of-5 attempts from long distance.
- Junior Isaiah Ross continued to be a spark plug off the bench, matching a season-high with 10 points while grabbing seven rebounds. He has averaged 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in four appearances this season.
- Junior Isaiah Washington and senior Mo Thiam posted eight points a piece. After coming off the bench vs. Stetson, Washington returned to the starting lineup and stuffed the stat sheet with five assists, four rebounds, and three steals in a team-high 31 minutes played. Thiam drained two of Iona's 10 three-pointers in the win.
- Kennesaw State had three players in double-figures. C.J. Washington scored 12 points off the bench while Armani Harris added 10 points and nine rebounds. Bryson Lockley shot 4-of-5 from the field in is 10-point effort.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- The Gaels shot a season best 43.4% from the field, and 43.5% from distance.
- The Maroon & Gold also had a season best seven blocks and a positive assist-to-turnover ratio for the second straight game.
- Iona won its 11th straight game against a current member of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
UP NEXT
Iona faces an 11-day layoff before continuing non-conference play away from the Hynes Center when they take on UConn on December 4. The 7 p.m. tipoff can be seen live on SportsNet New York and ESPN3.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Iona Men's Basketball: Twitter, Facebook. Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
