HAMDEN, CT – The Iona College men's basketball program dropped its second straight game on Wednesday afternoon to the Quinnipiac Bobcats, 74-70.
Isaiah Ross led the Gaels with 18 points and reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week
Nelly Junior Joseph had 12 points.
GAME SUMMARY
Wednesday night's game began with Ross scorching the People's United Center with seven points before the first media timeout. The senior guard was hot early, but he and the Maroon & Gold offense struggled as the first half unfolded. The Gaels shot 30.0% from the floor and 3-for-13 (23.1%) from beyond the arc over the opening 20 minutes. Despite the shooting woes, Iona led Quinnipiac 25-24 with 3:34 on the clock following an and-one play from
Berrick JeanLouis.
A pair of free throws from Tyrese Williams propelled the Bobcats to ending the first half on a 10-0 run. Seth Pinkey dunked one home as the opening period wound down to put the home team ahead 34-25 entering intermission.
Jamil Riggins made a layup at the 13:35 mark of the second half to put Quinnipiac ahead of Iona 45-35. The Bobcats largest lead of the game was quickly cut back down to two possessions with a pair of three-pointers from
Tahlik Chavez. The sophomore's sharpshooting catapulted a 10-0 run for Iona. The Gaels took a 46-45 lead with a transition three from Ross off a feed from
Ryan Myers.
Over the final 10 minutes of the game, neither team had a lead grow larger than five. The Gaels led Quinnipiac 60-55 with 5:43 left, but two possessions later it was Quinnipiac back in front, 62-61, courtesy of a Tymu Chenery dunk. The Bobcats, with increased trips to the free throw line, ballooned its lead to 69-64 with less than a minute to go. The Gaels got within one possession twice over the final 32 seconds, but free throws from Jacob Rigoni and Tyrese Williams in the final seconds sealed the Maroon & Gold's fate.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Isaiah Ross led the Maroon & Gold with 18 points on 6-for-16 shooting. He made 4-of-11 from beyond the arc.
- Berrick JeanLouis and Asante Gist each had a team-high three assists. JeanLouis also led Iona with three steals.
- Dylan van Eyck had a team-high seven rebounds off the bench.
- Quinnipiac's Tyrese Williams had a game-high 21 points. He shot 4-for-12 from the floor but 11-of-12 from the free throw line.
- Bobcats' Jacob Rigoni had a game-high eight rebounds and Luis Kortright had a game-high seven assists.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Isaiah Ross & Asante Gist combined to shoot 10-for-30 from the floor and 5-for-16 from beyond the arc.
- Iona had one assist in the first half compared to 10 for Quinnipiac. In the second half, the Gaels had 10 assists. The Gaels shot 60.0% from the floor in the second half and 30.0% in the fist half. The Maroon & Gold were 3-for-12 from deep over the first 20 minutes and 6-of-12 after intermission.
- The Maroon & Gold have had less assists than turnovers in three straight games. Against Quinnipiac they had 11 assists compared to 15 turnovers.
- Iona was limited to seven offensive rebounds. It is just the second time this season they have been held to single-digit offensive rebound totals.
- Dwayne Koroma played 17 minutes and had a career-high 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting.
- Wednesday was Iona's first road game since Saturday, December 19 against the Rider Broncs.
UP NEXT
Iona continues its MAAC sprint on Friday, February 19. The Gaels host the Monmouth Hawks at the Hynes Center for a nationally broadcasted game on ESPNU. Tip-off between the two league rivals is set for 7 P.M. ET. Gael Nation fans can watch the game live or follow along via live stats and social media.
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)
