LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL - The Iona College men's basketball team used a staunch defensive attack in the second half to separate from North Alabama in an 81-65 win in the in the MAAC/ASun Challenge at the HP Field House at ESPN's Wide World of Sports. The Gaels improved to 5-0 on the season and completed a 4-0 sweep by the MAAC in the event.

THE RUNDOWN

A hotly contested first half saw the Gaels enter halftime with a 38-35 advantage. North Alabama led by five points early, but the lead quickly dissipated. A key stretch for the Maroon & Gold was a span of seven straight points in just 22 seconds by the Gaels. Following two Quinn Slazinski free throws, Iona forced a turnover with its full court press and got a three pointer from freshman Walter Clayton Jr. The Gaels stole the ensuing inbound and Berrick JeanLouis buried a deep jumper with a foot on the line and Iona turned a 9-6 deficit into a 13-9 advantage in the blink of an eye. Iona led by as many as seven points following a Tyson Jolly three ball with 6:21 remaining. The Lions fought back and got to within one point on three occasions before sophomore Ryan Myers floater beat the halftime buzzer and sent the Gaels into the locker room with the three-point lead.
 
Iona built a double-digit lead before the first media timeout, outscoring North Alabama 12-3 in the first 3:42. The Lions would cut the deficit to single digits for just one possession the remainder of the way. With 6:30 left, Iona led by 26 points following a Slazinski turnaround jumper.

"D" AND "RE"

It was Iona's defense and attention to detail on the boards that won it the contest in the second half. Over the first 15 minutes of the frame, the Gaels held the Lions to just three field goals. In the second half, they shot 7-for-34 (20.6%) and just 31.3% for the game. Iona held a 43-34 overall advantage on the boards, thanks to a 27-17 effort in the final 20 minutes.

IONA PERFORMERS

Slazinski and Jolly led all scorers with 18 points. Slazinski shot 8-for-10 from the charity stripe and grabbed four rebounds while dishing out four assists. Jolly was 6-for-7 from the line with five boards, two assists and a block.
 
Sophomore Nelly Junior Joseph, who celebrated his 20th birthday in the game, missed a second-straight double-double by just one rebound, posting a 17-point, nine board effort. He added two assists and three blocks and hit his first collegiate three-point field goal in the second half. Junior Joseph was named the MAAC/ASun Challenge most outstanding performer for his efforts over the last two games.
 
Graduate Dylan van Eyck shined off the bench, with 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Senior Berrick JeanLouis posted seven points, nine rebounds and two assists while being assigned to slow North Alabama's top offensive threat on the defensive end.

NORTH ALABAMA PERFORMERS

The Lions' leading scorer, Jamari Blackmon reached his season average with 11 points, but shot 1-for-7 from the field and 1-for-5 from deep. He was 8-for-8 from the free throw line to account for his point total. Daniel Ortiz also had 11 points, while Damian Forrest grabbed eight rebounds. North Alabama managed just seven assists in the game.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• The Gaels played without graduate point guard Elijah Joiner, who suffered a leg injury in the second half of the Liberty game yesterday. The fifth-year performer, who has appeared in 119 NCAA Division I game, missed just his second career contest. Graduate guard Colton Cashaw earned his first start in Maroon & Gold and was backed up by Walter Clayton Jr.
• In four of Iona's five wins this season the Maroon & Gold successfully disrupted its opponent's leading scorer, proving vital to its success. App State's Adrian Delph, Hofstra's Zach Cooks, Liberty's Darius McGhee and North Alabama's Jamari Blackmon combined to shoot 16-for-55 (29.0%) from the field and just 5-for-28 (17.8%) from beyond the arc.
• The Gaels improved to 4-0 in the two-year history of the MAAC-ASun Challenge. Manhattan was the other MAAC team in the event this season and also earned wins over North Alabama and Liberty.

UP NEXT

Iona is back in action at the HP Field House on Thanksgiving Day for its opening contest in the 2021 ESPN Events Invitational. The Gaels take on No. 14 Alabama

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