UNION, NJ - The Iona University men's basketball team erased a 10-point second half deficit and held on to a 70-64 win over Princeton in non-conference, neutral site action in the Coaches vs. Cancer Challenge at Kean University's Harwood Arena. Sophomore
Walter Clayton Jr. and junior
Daniss Jenkins each had 20 points in the game to lead the Gaels. Proceeds from the event benefited the American Cancer Society. Fans can continue to support the cause by
visiting the team page for the event on cancer.org.
THE RUNDOWN
Princeton led the majority of the first half with the contest staying within two possessions for the duration. The Tigers largest lead was five points on two occasions after a pair of free throws by Blake Peters made it 27-22 with 4:33 remaining and two turns later on a Deven Austin jumper to make it 29-24. Iona erased the lead within 32 seconds but faced a two-point, 35-33 deficit at the break.
The start of the second half was all Princeton as they scored nine of the first 11 points to earn a 44-36 advantage with 14:29 to play. The lead extended to double-digits less than a minute later following back-to-back buckets by leading-scorer Tosan Evbuomwan. Trailing 48-38 at 13:41, Iona stormed back with 10 straight points over the next 3:34 to even the score with just over 10 minutes to play. Freshman
Cruz Davis scored seven in a row by himself to spark the run and tie the score 48-48. After a Princeton free throw, senior
Parker Weiss buried a three from the wing to give the Gaels their first advantage since the seven minute mark of the first half with nine minutes remaining. Princeton scored the game's next three points and led 52-51 at 7:29. A Clayton Jr. jumper followed by two free throws on Iona's next possession proved to be the final lead change of the contest. A Ryan Langborg three-pointer with 1:09 left knotted the score at 63-63. Clayton Jr. got to the rim and answered with a floater and converted all four of free throw attempts in the final 30 seconds to seal the 70-64 win.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Clayton Jr. scored 14 of his 20 points in the final seven minutes of the contest. He finished the game shooting 7-of-14 from the field and 6-for-6 from the charity stripe while adding six rebounds and a team-best five assists.
- Jenkins shot 7-for-16 from the field with two three-pointers and added three rebounds and three assists.
- Coming off the bench for the first time this season, junior Nelly Junior Joseph posted 10 points and eight rebounds with two assists, two steals and a block.
- Davis' seven-point spurt in a 1:12 span was critical in the Gaels' comeback effort.
THE OPPONENT
- Keeshawn Kellman led the Tigers with 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting
- Evbuomwan, a 6-8 point forward had 12 points and seven assists.
- Peters added 11 points.
- Matt Allocco scored only three points but led Princeton with eight assists and seven rebonds.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Princeton out shot (52.1% - 42.4%), out rebounded (32-31) and held a 19-16 advantage in assists over Iona but it was a 13-6 advantage in turnovers and 14-8 lead by the Gaels in points off those turnovers that proved to be the difference.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- The Maroon & Gold earned a win over Princeton for the first time in nine tries. Much like the last two contests on neutral floors at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City in 2018 and at the Barclays Center in 2019, it was a hotly contested contest until the final minute among two of the top programs in the greater New York Metropolitan area over the last three-plus decades.
- Iona's six turnovers were the second lowest single-game total of the season behind its five vs. Penn on opening night. It was a rebound following a season-high 19 vs. St. Bonaventure.
- After starting the second half shooting 1-for-10 (10.0%) Iona converted 11-of-its-final 16 (68.8%) shot attempts beginning with the 10-0 run that erased a double-digit deficit.
- The 63 possessions recorded in the contest was a season-low for Iona, one less than in its win over Vermont on November 18.
- Iona's KenPom rating improved to 57, the third-highest among programs eligible for the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 behind Gonzaga (12) and Saint Mary's (19) of the West Coast Conference. It is the program's best KenPom number since it ended the 2011-12 campaign at 57, the season it earned an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. That season, Iona's top ranking was 32 on Dec. 7 and never got higher than 60.
- Iona's NET Ranking is 32 which also trails Saint Mary's (15) and Gonzaga (20) among College Insider mid-majors.
UP NEXT
Iona faces its steepest challenge to date on Sunday when it faces New Mexico on the road in a Pitino family, father-son showdown in Albuquerque. The Lobos stand at 24 in the NET.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow Iona College athletics on all social media platforms:
Iona Athletics: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
Iona Men's Basketball: Twitter, Facebook. Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
