ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – It was a battle. It was a grind. It was a hard-fought win. The Iona College men's basketball program took down the top-seeded Siena Saints in the quarterfinals of the 2020-21 Hercules Tires Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship by a final score of 55-52. The Maroon & Gold defense was staunch the full forty minutes, resulting in a thrilling come-from-behind win to keep their season alive. Neither Iona nor Siena's offense lit up the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, but that didn't take away from the drama.

Let's start near the end.

The Maroon & Gold trailed Siena 39-30 with 9:54 remaining after a pair of Siena dunks from Manny Camper and Colin Golson Jr. After an Iona timeout, the Saints got an and-one basket from Jackson Stormo to maintain a three-possession lead approaching the under eight media time out. From that point on, the game pivoted completely.

Iona's defense locked down and held Siena without any points from 8:33 till 0:19. The Maroon & Gold went on a Super Zane 16-0 run and saw themselves up seven with 31 seconds remaining. During the tidal wave of Maroon & Gold effort and scoring, Iona's All-MAAC First Team senior Isaiah Ross was at the top of the swell hitting multiple big baskets.

The MAAC's leading-scorer jump started the momentum with a three-pointer with 8:22 remaining. Less than two minutes later, Ross hit another trifecta that brought the Maroon & Gold within one, 42-41. Dylan van Eyck stepped to the free throw line at the 5:30 mark and buried a pair to give his team their first lead of the second half. The Gaels would not relinquish it.

At 3:13, Ross hit his third three-pointer of the half and gave Iona a 49-45 lead. From that point on, it was taking care of business at the free throw line. Over the final three minutes of the game the Gaels made nine of 10 free throw attempts, anchored by Asante Gist going a perfect 6-for-6 in the final 31 seconds.

Siena ended up making its final four shots from the floor, but it was too little to late for the top-ranked team. During their 8:14 scoreless stretch the Saints missed six consecutive shots and committed five turnovers.

The Gael defense embraced their inner Spinal Tap and dialed it up to 11 against two of the best players in the MAAC. Camper, the MAAC Player of the Year, scored only six points on 2-for-8 shooting. He committed five turnovers. Jalen Pickett, the Preseason Player of the Year and All-MAAC First Team selection, finished the game with 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Siena shot 47.6% from the floor and 33.3% from beyond the arc. In contrast, Iona shot only 25.5% from the field and 28.0% from deep. Like Tuesday night, the free throw line made a big difference. The Maroon & Gold shot 20-for-24 (83.3%) from the charity stripe with Siena hit just 7-for-16 (43.8%).

In the end, the Maroon & Gold survived and advanced on Wednesday to play in Friday night's MAAC Championship semifinals by a final score of 55-52.

• Gist finished the game as its leading scorer with 16 points. The senior was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line.
• Ross finished the game with 14 points. He shot 3-for-9 from beyond the arc and also contributed seven rebounds.
• Berrick JeanLouis, who hit some big threes to help Iona get in a position to comeback in the second half, scored 13 points and had a game-high five steals matching up primarily against Camper or Pickett.
• The MAAC Rookie of the Year Nelly Junior Joseph had a team-best eight rebounds and three assists.
• van Eyck, off the bench, scored six points and pulled down eight rebounds. Not on the traditional stat sheet, van Eyck drew four offensive fouls.
• Stormo was the leading scorer for the Saints with 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting. Pickett had 13 points and a team-best eight rebounds and five assists.

• Iona improves to 11-0 against Siena at the MAAC Championship. Wednesday night's game is the fifth game decided by single-digits during that stretch.
• Iona becomes the second No. 9 seed to take down a No. 1 seed at the MAAC Championship. Saint Peter's toppled top-seeded Rider during the 2018 championship at the Times Union Center.
• The Gaels scored only 21 points in the first half; its lowest single-half point total this season. Iona's 55 total points scored is its lowest point total in a win this season.
• Iona defeated Siena despite shooting a season-worst 25.5% from the floor. Its previous season low was 32.7% against the Fairfield Stags on Saturday, December 12, when it also scored a season-worst 52 points.
• The Maroon & Gold have grabbed 12+ offensive rebounds in three straight games. They have 10+ offensive rebounds in all but three games this season.

Iona plays in the Hercules Tires Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship semifinals on Friday night against either No. 4 Marist or No. 5 Niagara. The Red Foxes and Purple Eagles tip-off against one another tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

The Maroon & Gold did not face off against Marist or Niagara in the during the regular season. The Gaels' semifinals contest is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 12. The game will be aired on ESPNNews. Fans can follow the program via live stats or Iona athletics social media. Be sure to follow Iona College athletics on all social media platforms:
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