LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Iona College men's basketball program earned its second Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game of the season on the road in Alumni Gymnasium against the Rider Broncs, 70-56. The Maroon & Gold defense clamps down when needed and three players in double-figures propel the Gaels to their third win of the season.
GAME SUMMARY
The Maroon & Gold's offense in the first half ran through freshman
Nelly Junior Joseph. The rookie had 17 of his 19 points in the first half, including 11 in the first 7:51 of the game. The one-time MAAC Rookie of the Week helped the Gaels jump out to a quick 21-7 lead with 11:42 remaining in the first half.
The Broncs first half offense was supplied by Rodney Henderson Jr.'s sharp-shooting from beyond the arc. He made three three-point shots and led the Broncs with 13 points in the opening frame. Behind Henderson's shooting and improved defense, Rider cut the lead down to four, 29-25, with 2:46 left before intermission. Battling through it all, Iona did not cave to the momentum and instead bounced back with a quick spurt and carried a 35-27 lead at the break.
The Gaels shot 45.7% from the floor in the first half. Junior Joseph was 8-for-13 and
Isaiah Ross scored eight of his would-be 18 points in the opening frame. 24 of their 35 points in the first half came from the paint.
Iona earned its largest lead of the game with a 17-point advantage, 46-29, when
Dylan van Eyck put in a free throw with 15:39 on the clock. Just prior to that, both Ross and
Asante Gist picked up their third personal fouls and head coach
Rick Pitino had to work through a rotation in the backcourt.
The Gaels held a 55-38 lead with 9:37 to go, but the Broncs did not go down quietly on their home court. And 8-0 run by Rider got them within nine and forced Iona to call multiple timeouts between the under 12 and under four-minute media timeouts. The Maroon & Gold did not make a field goal for over five minutes and only a series of free throw trips kept the Gaels ahead.
Gist owned the final five minutes of the game. He made four free throws and a crucial fast break bucket to put Iona back ahead double-digits, 61-48, at the 3:21 mark. The senior captain guard scored 11 points and had an assist in the last 4:44 to lockdown Iona's second MAAC win of the season, 70-56.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Nelly Junior Joseph led all scorers with a career-high 19 points on 9-for-15 shooting. He also contributed seven rebounds and two steals.
- Dylan van Eyck led the Maroon & Gold with 10 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. He also scored five points and had one steals. Van Eyck now has three games this season with 10+ rebounds, and four in his Iona career. Iona is 4-0 in those games.
- Isaiah Ross continued his hot offensive start to the season with 18 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Asante Gist, due in large part to his fantastic closing, concluded with a season-best 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
- Rider's Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson had a team-high 16 points and eight rebounds. He scored five field goals and made six free throws. Rodney Henderson Jr. had 13 points and with three three-point field goals. He was held to 0-2 shooting in the second half.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Entering the game, Rider's Dwight Murray Jr. was averaging 18.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. On Friday night he was limited to four points, six rebounds and six assists.
- Iona won the game despite shooting just 4-for-21 (19.0%) from beyond the arc. It is Iona's first win shooting below 20% or below from deep since January 25, 2019 against the Broncs. That game they also shot 4-for-21 in a 77-71 win at home in the Hynes Center.
- Iona's 10 turnovers are tied for a season-low total. The other game they had only 10 turnovers was their MAAC win against Fairfield.
- Rider attempted 12 free throw attempts; it is the lowest free throw attempt total for an iona opponent this season.
- The Gaels had a team-high nine steals. Berrick JeanLouis, Isaiah Ross and Nelly Junior Joseph each had two steals.
AROUND THE MAAC
- Niagara earned its first MAAC win of the season at home against Fairfield, 68-51. The Purple Eagles had three players in double-figures with Marcus Hammond leading the way with 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
- Monmouth held on to beat Saint Peter's at home, 78-76. The Peacocks had a pair of chances to tie the game as the final seconds ticked, but KC Ndefo's attempts didn't drop. The Hawks were led offensively by Deion Hammond's 22 points, four rebounds and three assists.
UP NEXT
Iona plays its final scheduled conference game of the 2020 calendar year tomorrow evening against the Rider Broncs. Tip-off from Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, NJ is set for 7 PM ET. The Game is being broadcasted live on ESPN+. Fans can also follow the action via live stats and across Iona College athletics social media platforms.
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)
