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Iona University Athletics

Walter Clayton Jr. vs. Canisius
Bob Dea - Daly Dose of Hoops
60
Canisius Canis 2-6,0-2 MAAC
90
Winner Iona Iona 4-2,2-0 MAAC
Canisius Canis
2-6,0-2 MAAC
60
Final
90
Iona Iona
4-2,2-0 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Canisius Canis 26 34 60
Iona Iona 43 47 90

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Brian Beyrer / Sr. Associate AD / Athletic Communications

Iona MBB Wins 18th Straight At Home, Tops Canisius 90-60

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - In similar fashion to Friday night's win over Niagara, the Iona University men's basketball team used an extended first half run to create separation and cruised to a 90-60 win over Canisius in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at the Hynes Center. Seven different players scored seven or more points led by a 21-point effort from sophomore Walter Clayton Jr.

THE RUNDOWN

Canisius held a 13-10 lead at the 13:17 mark of the first half with the contest separated by a single possession for the first seven minutes. Iona scored nine straight points to take the lead for good. Over the final 13 minutes the Gaels outscored the Griffs 33-13. In addition to the 9-0 run that started the ascension, Iona added a 7-0 run and an 11-0 run in the final eight minutes. Leading by as many as 20 with 2:29 to play, Canisius pulled to within 17 points following a field goal with the clock expiring.
 
The Griffs got as close as 13 early in the second half. A three-point play by junior Nelly Junior Joseph and a layup by senior Osborn Shema quickly made the advantage 50-32 at 17:21. After trading buckets over the next five minutes, Iona scored 13 straight and opened a 72-43 lead with just under 11 minutes to play. Iona's largest lead of the contest, and the season thus far, was 34 with 65 seconds left. Canisius scored five in the final minute to close out the game and the 30-point defeat.

IONA PERFORMERS

  • Clayton's 21 points came on 7-for-10 shooting in just 22 minutes. He was 3-for-4 from long distance and 4-for-4 from the line, scoring 15 points in the first half. Clayton added four assists and four steals.
  • Senior Berrick JeanLouis added 16 points, 10 in the second frame with seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. He was 6-for-8 from the field with two three pointers.
  • Junior Daniss Jenkins netted 10 points and dished out a career-high nine assists. He added three rebounds, two blocks and a steal while committing just one turnover.
  • Junior Joseph posted 12 points as the fourth double-digit scorer.
  • Senior Osborn Shema had another strong effort with eight points and seven rebounds.
  • Rookie Michael Jefferson added eight points, four rebounds and four assists. Davis added seven points for the Maroon & Gold.

THE OPPONENT

  • Canisius rookie Tahj Staveskie had 13 points and a team-high three assists.
  • Jamir Moultrie added 11 points and Jacco Fritz had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the visitors.

TEAM STATISTICS

  • Iona outshot Canisius 55.9%-33.3%. The Gaels shot 50.0% from distance, connecting on eight three pointers while holding the Griffs to 31.8% (7-for-22).
  • Canisius held a 42-34 advantage on the boards. The grabbed 20 offensive rebounds but held just a 12-10 lead on second chance points.
  • Iona had 24 assists and 11 turnovers while the Griffs had 11 helpers and 20 giveaways.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • Iona won its 18th straight home contest and improved to 16-0 with fans in the stands over the last two seasons under head coach Rick Pitino.
  • Jenkins followed up a 31-point effort with his career-high nine assists. In two games this weekend he averaged 20.5 points and had 14 assists to just one turnover in 63 minutes.
  • Clayton had his second 20+ point effort in the last three games.
  • The 30-point win was the largest margin of victory in a MAAC regular season contest for the Gaels since a 98-64 win at Marist on February 4, 2018. It was the largest at the Hynes Center since defeating Saint Peter's 98-61 on February 26, 2012. It was Iona's 18th MAAC win of 30 or more points in its history.
  • The win was also the largest margin of victory by the Gaels under coach Pitino, surpassing their 28-point wins over Penn to open this season and Fairfield to open MAAC play in 2020. The Maroon & Gold improved to 10-1 in 30+ point games over the last 13 seasons.

UP NEXT

A major test of the Gaels' home court dominance comes Tuesday night when they host the Atlantic 10's Saint Louis at 7 p.m. The two teams complete a home-and-home series following the first game in January that was decided in the final moments last season.

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)





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