ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – The Iona College men's basketball season ended in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship quarterfinals on Wednesday night by a final score of 56-54.

MAAC Rookie of the Year Aaron Estrada of Saint Peter's hit the game-winning shot with 1.2 seconds remaining. It's the third time this season the Peacocks beat the Maroon & Gold on their final offensive possession this season. The first half was what one would call a offensive struggle. Over the opening 20 minutes, the Gaels shot 27.3% overall and the Peacocks hit at 25.8%. The Maroon & Gold were 1-for-10 from beyond the arc and the Peacocks were 2-for-11. Both Iona and Saint Peter's had four-minute stretches where each team missed seven straight shots from the floor.

Saint Peter's jumped ahead 5-0 and held a lead for the entirety of the first half. The largest Iona deficit was seven points when the Peacocks held a 22-15 lead with 2:14 remaining in the first half. The Gaels scored the final three points of the first half as they entered intermission trailing 22-18.

Iona's offense came almost exclusively from Tajuan Agee and Isaiah Washington as each shot 3-for-7 from the floor and combined for 15 points. Crawford made a pair of free throws and Ross knocked down one. MAAC Rookie of the Year Aaron Estrada had seven points to lead the Peacocks at the break.

The second half began with Agee scoring a pair of quick baskets to tie the game at 22. The Peacocks didn't have a made field goal in the second until Doug Edert hit a second-chance three-point field goal to give the Peacocks a 26-24 lead with 14:16 on the clock.

Crawford, who struggled for the first 29 minutes of the game, picked up his third personal foul with 13:38 to go in the game. Playing through the foul trouble, the three-time MAAC Champion warmed up quickly with seven straight points midway through the second half to put Iona head, 35-34, with 9:41 remaining. The Gaels made four straight from the floor, from the 9:41 to 8:37 mark, resulting in a 40-34 advantage.

Iona kept a six-point lead till the 5:15 mark when acting head coach Tra Arnold called a full timeout. After that moment, the Maroon & Gold made just one field goal for the remainder of the game. The one basket was a dunk by Dylan van Eyck with 3:15 on the clock to give Iona a 52-51 lead.

Saint Peter's forced an Iona turnover when the Gaels were leading 54-53 with less than a minute remaining. MAAC Defensive Player of the Year KC Ndefo made one of two from the free throw line to tie the game at 54 with 45 seconds left.

The Gaels had a chance to take the lead but Agee missed a contested layup. After a loose ball battle, the Peacocks gained control with 16 seconds left and called a 30 second timeout. Down to their final possession again, it fell in the hands of Estrada who pulled up from mid-range and buried the game-winning shot with 1.2 seconds left.

Washington had a last heave at the buzzer from mid-court, but it went wide left.

For the first time since 2013, the MAAC Championship game will not have the Iona Gaels as a participant.

• Agee scored a game-high 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting.
• Crawford scored 11 points and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. He scored double-digit points in every game this season.
• Washington concluded the season with a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
• Saint Peter's' Estrada finished with 11 points. Quinn Taylor had a team-high 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Peacocks. Edert scored 10 points off the bunch.

• The Gaels finish the season with a 12-17, 9-11 MAAC record. Iona had a 5-6 home, 4-9 away and 3-2 neutral court record.
• The last time Iona didn't make the MAAC Championship was in 2012 when the Gaels fell in the tournament semifinals to the Fairfield Stags, 85-75.
• Crawford finishes his career with 1,835 points, which ranks sixth all-time in Iona program history. He also ranks top-10 all-time in field goals, three point field goals, three-point field goal attempts and free throw percentage and games field.
• Iona's 18 points in the first half is its lowest scoring half of the season. Saint Peter's 22 first half points is the lowest point total the Maroon & Gold allowed in a half since surrendering just 22 in the first half against Manhattan on February 14.

• No. 1 Siena defeated No. 9 Manhattan, 63-49. The Saints used an 11-0 run in the first half to take a lead that which they'd never relinquish. Manny Camper had a game-high 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting and nine rebounds.
• The MAAC Championship quarterfinals continues tomorrow with No. 4 Monmouth facing No. 5 Quinnipiac, and No. 3 Rider battling against No. 6 Niagara.

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