CHAMPIONS!!! WE ARE GOING DANCING!!!
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – The Iona College men's basketball program won its league-leading 13th Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon. The ninth-seeded Gaels toppled No. 7 Fairfield by a final score of 60-51, earning a berth in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
GAME SUMMARY
Defense was the mantra for the Gaels entering the MAAC Championship and its dedication to the cause did not waver in the tournament's final game. Iona's defense locked down Fairfield for the entirety of the game, holding the Stags to 30.2% shooting from the floor. While the defense preyed upon the Stags, the veteran backcourt of
Asante Gist and
Isaiah Ross fueled the Maroon & Gold offense, combining for 25 points on 10-for-21 shooting.
Fairfield opened the game missing its first six shots from the floor and five minutes in it was an 8-2 advantage for Iona. The Gaels defense was suffocating, allowing only one made field goal for the Stags in their first 11 shots.
The margin continued to creep in Iona's favor as the first half progressed. Leading 17-10 with 7:01 left, Fairfield's Taj Benning sparked a quick five-point run that made it a one-possession game with five minutes left before intermission. The Gaels called a timeout and responded in resounding fashion. Over the final 3:45 of the first half Iona went on a 10-0 run, hitting five-of-seven from the floor. Fairfield missed its final four shots of the first and committed three turnovers to help fuel the Maroon & Gold momentum.
Gist and Ross were crucial in the lead-extending run to end the first half. Gist had a pair of free throws to make it 28-18 and then blocked a Stags three-pointer attempt on the defensive end. On the ensuing offensive possession Ross buried a floater. Iona led Fairfield 30-18 at halftime. Gist led all scorers with 11 points at the break.
Credit to the Stags. They did not go down quietly into the night. Fairfield opened the second half hitting a three pointer and drawing a charge on the defensive end. Iona called timeout leading 32-25, but still the Stags kept coming. Jake Wojcik hit a three-pointer at the 15:08 mark and it was a four-point game.
The Gaels may have blinked, but they did not flinch.
Nelly Junior Joseph hit a pair of massive buckets to help Iona get back on track, and a driving layup by Ross put the Maroon & Gold back in front ten, 38-28, with 13:21 to go.
Fairfield would never get closer than eight points over the final 10 minutes of the game. Iona knew it had the momentum when Ross crossed over a Stag and buried a three-pointer to push Iona's lead to 52-36 with 6:07 left. Six straight Stags free throws with five minutes left may have left some Gael fans worrying, but Gist eased the nerves with his clutch free throw shooting that was on display the entire MAAC Championship.
When the clock struck all zeroes, the Iona bench emptied in celebration and the scoreboard lit up: Iona 60, Fairfield 51.
The Iona Gaels are MAAC Champions once again.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Asante Gist led all scorers with 18 points on 5-for-13 shooting. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
- Isaiah Ross scored 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting and had five rebounds.
- Nelly Junior Joseph had his fourth career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He shot 5-for-7 from the floor.
- Berrick JeanLouis scored six points and added four rebounds and four assists.
- Jake Wojcik was Fairfield's leading scorer with 13 points, eight of which came from the free throw line. He also pulled down eight rebounds. Taj Benning had 11 points on 4-for-10 shooting.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Iona has won its league-leading 13th MAAC Tournament Championship. The Gaels are the second champion ever to be crowned having gone 4-0 in the tournament. The previous team was Siena in 2002.
- Iona is the first No. 9 seed in MAAC history to make the final of the MAAC Championship.
- The Maroon & Gold have now appeared in a league-leading 19 MAAC championship games. It is the first time the Gaels participated in a fourth game in the MAAC Championship game.
- The 2021 MAAC Championship matchup between No. 9 Iona and No. 7 Fairfield is the highest combined seed number in league history. It passes the seed total in 2011 between the winner No. 7 Siena and its opponent No. 4 Niagara.
- This MAAC Championship was the third time the Maroon & Gold faced off against Fairfield. The Stags won the first meeting in 1987 and the Gaels won the most recent title in 2018.
- Rick Pitino is the fifth coach in MAAC history to win the tournament championship in his first year in the league. He joins Mitch Bonoguoro (Fairfield, 1986), Fran Fraschilla (Manhattan, 1993), Skip Prosser (Loyola, 1994) and Rob Lanier (Siena, 2002).
- Pitino is the third coach in NCAA men's basketball history to reach the NCAA Tournament with five separate programs. He joins Tubby Smith and Lon Kruger.
- Asante Gist was named the 2021 MAAC Championship Most Outstanding Performer. Isaiah Ross and Berrick JeanLouis were named to the MAAC Tournament Team.
UP NEXT
Iona awaits its NCAA Tournament opponent which will be announced tomorrow, Sunday, March 14, during the official NCAA bracket reveal at 6 p.m.
Gael Nation fans can stay tuned to all things Maroon & Gold via ICGaels.com and Iona athletics social media accounts.
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)
