FAIRFIELD, CT – The Iona College men's basketball program opened its 2020-21 Metro Atlantic Athletics Conference season with a resounding 70-42 win over Fairfield on Friday evening. The Gaels defense pinched any offensive opportunities for the Stags in Alumni Hall, holding them to just 27.5% shooting in addition to forcing 19 turnovers.
Isaiah Ross, the reigning MAAC Player of the Week, continued his torrid start to the season with a game-high 30 points on 12-for-20 shooting.
Dylan van Eyck collected his first double-double with the Gaels and
Asante Gist asserted himself in his return to the Maroon & Gold starting line-up.
GAME SUMMARY
Taking to heart the idea of urgency, the Maroon & Gold busted down the gates to start the game against Fairfield. Iona held an 11-2 lead at the first media timeout and five minutes into the game, the Gaels had already forced five Stags turnovers. Fairfield withstood the initial surge and nipped back with a quick seven-point spurt during which the Maroon & Gold shot 1-for-8 from the floor.
Iona's offense sputtered in the middle portion of the first half. The Gaels lead 14-11 with just over eight minutes gone, and as the next media approached, the Gaels shooting percentage dipped to 32%. The Maroon & Gold managed to keep their lead in the first half due in large part to their strong care of the basketball, as they had just three turnovers in the first half.
Ross closed out the first half hitting a three-pointer with fifteen tics on the clock to give Iona a 32-22 advantage at intermission. The Gaels ended up shooting 35% from the floor in the opening period, and Ross led the way with 13 points. The Stags had Taj Benning and Caleb Green with 10 points each at the break.
In a mirror image of the first half, head coach
Rick Pitino saw his team come out of the locker room after halftime with an immense amount of energy. The Stags had a call a quick timeout just 1:57 into the second half when Iona opened a 37-22 lead. The Maroon & Gold kept up the pressure after the breather and kept Fairfield without any points for the first 5:26 of the half. Only a pair of Jesus Cruz free throws ended the Stags scoreless streak.
Fairfield missed its first 10 shots in the second half. The Gaels relented the Stags first basket in the second half after nearly nine minutes, during which that time they built up to a 54-32 lead.
Simply put, Iona dominated the second half. Its lead grew to as large as 29, 69-40, as the game ended. Fairfield's top two scorers in the first half, Benning and Green, combined for only six points in the second half. The Stags as a team shot just 5-for-28 (17.9%) over the final 20 minutes.
As a team, Iona finished the game shooting 46% from the floor and 39% from beyond the arc. They assisted on half of their 28 field goals.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Isaiah Ross led all scorers with 30 points. It's his second 30+ scoring performance this season. He shot 12-for-20 from the floor and hit three three-pointers.
- Dylan van Eyck finished the contest with 12 points and 14 rebounds. He also drew three offensive fouls against the Stags.
- In his return to the starting line-up, Asante Gist scored 13 points as well as dishing out a team-high five assists.
- Taj Benning led Fairfield in scoring with 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Caleb Green had 10 points, all in the first half. He also led the Stags with three assists. Supreme Cook and Tshiefu Ngalakulondi each had a team-best seven rebounds.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- This is the first time Iona has held a MAAC opponent to under 50 points since Saint Peter's on February 15, 2019. The Gaels won that game 62-46 behind 17 points from Asante Gist and E.J. Crawford.
- It is the 25th time in the last 40 years the Maroon & Gold held a league opponent to under 50 points.
- Iona forced 19 Fairfield turnovers and scored 21 points off the extra possessions. The Gaels also had 14 second chance points off 10 offense rebounds.
- The Stags made just six of their 18 layup attempts.
- In each of the Gaels win this season, they have made 28 field goal attempts and had a positive assist to turnover ratio. Also in both wins thus far this season, Iona held Hofstra and Fairfield below 30% three-point shooting.
- The Gaels now have 70 wins against Fairfield in their series history. If the Gaels win at Alumni Hall on Saturday, December 12, then they will be tied with SPU in terms of wins against a league foe.
MAAC SCOREBOARD
- Rider travelled up to Manhattan and defeated the Jaspers in Draddy Gymnasium, 82-64. Dwight Murray Jr. scored 20 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. The Broncs shot 50.8% from the floor and attempted only nine three-pointers.
- In its first game of the season, Canisius defeated Marist in Buffalo, 81-72. Malek Green had 18 points and seven rebounds to lead the Golden Griffins.
- Saint Peter's handled its business against Niagara, 70-54. Daryll Banks III had 19 points and four rebounds. KC Ndefo had 12 points, five rebounds and four blocks.
UP NEXT
Iona and Fairfield get right back to it tomorrow, Saturday, December 12, in Alumni Hall. Tip-off is slated for 7 PM.
Fans can follow the Gaels battling the Stags via Live Stats and across Iona Athletics social media channels. The game is being broadcasted on ESPN+.
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)
