BUFFALO, NY – History was made at the Koessler Athletic Center on Thursday night as the Iona College men's basketball team controlled Canisius from the tip-off in an 86-65 victory. Junior
Isaiah Washington played phenomenal basketball and finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists; it's just the third triple-double in Maroon & Gold history.
Washington joins Scott Machado '12 and Nakiea Miller '01 as the only Gaels to complete a triple-double. It's the first time its been done since February 12, 2012, when Machado had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in an 83-74 win over the Marist Red Foxes at the Hynes Center.
GAME SUMMARY
The opening 20 minutes of Iona's Western New York swing could not have started better. The Gaels shot 65.5% in the first half against Canisius, their highest percentage in any half this season. The Maroon & Gold were dominant in the paint, outscoring the Golden Griffins, 32-6. They only took six three-point shots, with a pair being made by
Isaiah Ross.
Ross was one of three Gaels to score double-figures in the first half.
E.J. Crawford had 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting, and
Tajuan Agee scored 10 points on 5-of-8 field goal attempts. Washington was everywhere on the floor for the Maroon & Gold, pulling down nine rebounds and dishing out six assists in the opening frame.
An exciting sight in the first half for Iona fans was
Dylan van Eyck making his return to the court. In his first action since February 16 against Marist, the junior forward had four points and two rebounds in 10 minutes.
The Gaels carried a 42-22 lead over Canisius heading into the second half due in most part to its defensive energy. The Golden Griffins shot 28.1% from the floor and made just 2-for-13 from deep over the first 20 minutes.
Iona's dominance continued throughout the second half. Crawford put the Gaels up 22, 55-33, with his ninth bucket of the game at the 12:48 mark. The lay-in also put Crawford, the MAAC's leading scorer, over the 20-point plateau for the sixth straight game.
Ross hit back-to-back trifectas nearing the midway part of the second half, but Canisius wasn't utterly folding as it had made four straight baskets to keep the margin at 21. Following a media timeout with 10:16 on the clock, Agee reentered the game after having picked up his third personal foul earlier in the half.
The Chicago, IL native was the recipient of Washington's tenth assist at the 8:54 mark. The two paired for a pick and slip, resulting in a dunk that put the Gaels ahead 67-43 with 8:54.
Less than two minutes later, Washington used an Agee screen to get space and buried his second three-pointer of the game to lock in the triple-double.
Iona cruised to the finish, seeding their lead grow as large as 32, 78-46, with 5:34 on the clock. The Gaels finished the game shooting a season-best 64.3% from the floor and 47.1% from deep. The had 20 assists compared to 13 turnovers.
Canisius shot 38.7% from the floor, 30.8% from deep and 75.0% from the free throw line.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Washington's 10 assists are the most by a Gael this season. He has five or more assists in four straight games. Washington has three games with 10 or more assists.
- Ross led all scorers with a season-high 24 points on 9-for-12 shooting. He made 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. Ross has hit at least six three-pointers twice this season, with the previous coming in a win at Fairfield on February 9.
- Crawford scored 22 points on 10-for-15 shooting. Agee netter 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting.
- Agee, Washington and van Eyck each collected two steals.
- Canisius was led by Jordan Henderson's 18 points. Majesty Brandon and Jalanni White each scored double-digits off the bench. Malik Jonson finished with nine points and eight assists.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Iona is above .500 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play for the first time this season. The Gaels are 9-8 in the league and are currently in fourth place in the standings.
- Washington's triple-double is the first MAAC triple-double since Isaiah Reese against Youngstown State on November 18, 2017.
- The Gaels made a season-high 36 field goals against Canisius. Crawford's 10 made field goals is the most in a single game by an Iona player this season. The previous season-high was nine made baskets, all of which were games by Crawford.
- The Gaels tied a season-best with 20 assists. It had been done twice prior, once versus Monmouth on January 26 and once versus Manhattan on February 14.
- Iona has had more assists than its opponents in seven straight games.
- Iona outscored Canisius in the paint, 54-20. Entering the game, the Gaels season-average was 28.2 points. Over the last seven games, the Maroon & Gold are averaging 33.7 points in the paint.
AROUND THE MAAC
- Niagara defeated Saint Peter's at the Gallagher Center, 63-54. Marcus Hammond had 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting. As a team the Purple Eagles shot 45.1% from the floor, 43.8% from deep, and 90.9% from the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Iona conclude its Western New York swing on Saturday, February 29 at Niagara. The Gaels aim to even the regular season series after the Purple Eagles won in Hynes in middle of January. Tickets for the game are available at the
Niagara Box Office. Fans who can't make the game can watch the Maroon & Gold on
ESPN3, listen to the
Niagara radio broadcast, or follow
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)
