ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – The Iona College men's basketball program advanced to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship quarterfinals on Tuesday night with a 70-60 opening round win against the Canisius College Golden Griffins. Clutch free throw shooting and timely defense helped the Maroon & Gold in a successful first pit stop on the Drive4Five.
GAME SUMMARY
It was a cold start for both Iona and Canisius as they combined to hit just two the first 10 shots taken. The Golden Griffins got hot first using a 7-0 run to jump ahead of the Gaels, 9-4 with 14:48 remaining in the first half.
Following a 30 second timeout called by acting head coach
Tra Arnold,
Isaiah Washington hit a three-pointer to end two-minute scoreless drought. Less than two minutes later
E.J. Crawford hit a pair of free throws to knot the game at 11.
From the 12:46 till 6:01, Canisius continuously had the one possession advantage as teams traded baskets. The Gaels finally gained a short foothold with a Crawford three that put his team ahead 25-23 with 5:38 left in in the first. The Golden Griffins regained the lead and a swing of momentum when both Agee and Crawford had to begin shuttling minutes with two personal fouls each.
Despite subbing its two leading scorers for offense and defense, the Maroon & Gold began to flow in the closing minutes of the first half. Canisius made just two field goals in the final five minutes and a three-pointer from Agee as the intermission buzzer rang gave Iona its largest lead of the game, 36-32.
Canisius crawled its way back to tie the game just over five minutes into the second half when Majesty Brandon hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 43. After that basket, the Maroon & Gold defense clamped down and the Golden Griffins missed their next six shots from the floor. Iona took a 47-43 lead into the under 12 media timeout.
As the final 10 minutes of the second half unfolded, both Iona and Canisius had to deal with foul trouble. Brandon, front-runner for MAAC Sixth Player of the year, picked up his fourth personal foul with 8:48 to go. Less than 30 seconds later, Agee was whistled for his fourth personal. Before the five minute mark, Golden Griffin point guard Malik Johnson and Crawford each picked up their fourth fouls as well.
Iona called a 30 second timeout leading 56-51 following the whistle on Crawford with 6:04 to go. The next basket the Maroon & Gold scored was its final field goal of the game. Washington earned an old-fashioned three-point play with 4:01 left that put the Gaels ahead 59-53. From there, the Maroon & Gold went 11-for-12 from the free throw line to suffocate the remaining time. They also allowed only two Golden Griffin baskets over the final five minutes.
Iona finished the game shooting 44% from the floor, 31% from beyond the arc and 93% from the free throw line. The Gaels overcame 14 turnovers and allowing 15 offensive rebounds. The Golden Griffins had 19 seconds chance points compared to six for the Maroon & Gold.
The Gaels never trailed in the second half. The largest lead they had in the game was 12 when Iona led 70-58 with 24 seconds remaining.
POSTGAME THOUGHTS
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Washington finished the game with 24 points on 7-for-15 shooting. He was a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Washington also led the Maroon & Gold with three assists.
- Crawford scored a game-high 25 points on 7-for-12 shooting and had a team-best seven rebounds. He was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.
- Agee scored 10 points in addition to seven rebounds and two assists. He played just 26 minutes due to foul trouble.
- Ben Perez played 23 minutes off the bench and scored four points. Isaiah Ross netted six points. Dylan van Eyck had six rebounds.
- Canisius' leading scorer was Corey Brown with 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting. He also had a game-high nine rebounds. Johnson had 13 points, four rebounds and six assists.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- The Maroon & Gold have won 13 straight MAAC Championship tournament games.
- Agee now has 843 career points, moving into top-50 all-time scoring at Iona.
- Washington scored 20+ points for the third time this season. It's the first time since he scored 21 at home against Marist on February 16.
- Iona's seven assists is tied for a season low. It also happened on December 4 at Connecticut.
- The Maroon & Gold shot 93.7% from the free throw line; its their highest percentage in a game where they attempted more than 15 free throw attempts.
- Wednesday night's matchup against Saint Peter's in the MAAC Championship quarterfinal marks the fourth straight year the Gaels and Peacocks have matched up in the postseason.
AROUND THE MAAC
- No. 9 Manhattan upset No. 8 Fairfield in the first opening round game, 61-43. Pauli Paulycap had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Jaspers. Manhattan will play top-seeded Siena on Wednesday night.
- At the time of this release, No. 6 Niagara vs. No. 11 Marist were playing the final opening round game at Boardwalk Hall. The winner goes on to play No. 3 Rider on Thursday, March 12.
UP NEXT
Iona plays in the 2020 MAAC Championship quarterfinals against No. 2 Saint Peter's on Wednesday, March 11. The tip-off scheduled in Boardwalk Hall is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. The game between the Gaels & Peacocks is being broadcasted on
ESPN3. Fans can also follow along with
Live Stats.
Fans who would like to join Gael Nation in Atlantic City can purchase tickets at the
Iona Ticket Portal.
More information regarding the 2020 MAAC Championship can be found at Iona's
Championship Central page.
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)
