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Iona University Athletics

Walter Clayton Jr. - Quinnipiac
Geraldo Rodriguez
72
Quinnipiac QU 15-6,6-4 MAAC
78
Winner Iona Iona 14-7,7-3 MAAC
Quinnipiac QU
15-6,6-4 MAAC
72
Final
78
Iona Iona
14-7,7-3 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Quinnipiac QU 45 27 72
Iona Iona 28 50 78

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

Iona MBB Erases Double-Digit Deficit, Tops Quinnipiac 78-72

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona University men's basketball team erased an 18-point first half deficit in a thrilling 78-72 win over Quinnipiac in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action. Down 17 at the half, the Gaels needed just 10 and a half minutes to turn the score around in front of a capacity crowd at the Hynes Center.

THE RUNDOWN

Iona's second half struggles from Friday night spilled over into the opening 5:28 of Sunday's contest as Quinnipiac blitzed the Gaels and led 17-2 early. The Bobcats led by as many as 18 with 6:56 and 1:57 remaining in the half. The visitors out shot Iona 45.5%-30.3% in the frame and took a 10-0 advantage on points off turnovers and 16-8 in the paint to build the lead.
 
After the break, the Gaels turned up the defensive intensity and quickly ran off nine straight points to get within single digits. Sophomore Walter Clayton Jr.'s three-pointer just over a minute and a half in made the score 45-27. Down nine with 14:04 left, back-to-back three balls by junior Daniss Jenkins and freshman Cruz Davis sparked a 19-1 run and gave the Maroon & Gold its largest advantage, 62-53 with 6:51 to play. Iona rattled off 13 straight points in just over four minutes to take the lead for good. The Bobcats got within three points on three separate occasions, but Iona did its job at the free throw line down the stretch and continued to get key stops to hold on for the 78-72 win.

IONA PERFORMERS

  • Clayton led four Gaels in double-figures, posting 17 points - 13 in the second half - on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 6-for-6 from the line, all in the final two minutes. He added six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
  • Junior Nelly Junior Joseph recorded his ninth straight and 13th double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds. He also added three assists and two blocks with 12 points coming in the final 20 minutes.
  • Jenkins stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, five steals and a block.
  • Davis added 13 points and had two blocks.
  • Sophomore Anton Brookshire had seven points, all in a row during the Gaels decisive 13-0 run in the second half. His step back three-pointer from the left wing accounted for the lone lead change in the game and gave Iona its first advantage with 9:29 to play. Brookshire also grabbed four boards and dished out two assists in 12 minutes.
  • Senior Osborn Shema had four points and had seven rebounds, four blocks and two steals. His presence inside in the second half helped the Gaels limit the Bobcats to just 3-for-14 shooting inside the arc in the second half.

THE OPPONENT

  • Dezi Jones led Quinnipiac with 24 points.  He grabbed six rebounds and had two assists with six turnovers.
  • Matt Balanc had 12 points and Luis Kortright added 11.
  • Ike Nweke had 11 rebounds to lead the Bobcats.

TEAM STATISTICS

  • For the game, Iona out shot Quinnipiac 38.9%-35.0%. They limited the Bobcats to 6-of-27 (22.2%) in the second half.
  • Quinnipiac held a 47-43 advantage on the boards for the game and 20-18 on second chance points.
  • The Gaels had 14 assists and 10 turnovers. They had just two give aways in the second half and none in the final 13:16 of the contest. The Bobcats posted seven assists and 17 turnovers, 12 in the second frame alone.
  • Quinnipiac outscored Iona 10-0 on points off turnovers in the first half, the Gaels turned it around in the second and led 19-0 in the statistic.
  • Similarly, after a first half domination of the paint by the visitors, Iona held a 22-4 advantage in the final frame.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • Junior Joseph became the first Iona player this century to record nine straight double doubles.
  • Iona split the season series with Quinnipiac after falling to the Bobcats in Hamden earlier this month.
  • The 18-point deficit erasure is the largest since last season's win over Liberty which saw the Gaels trail by 16 in the contest.

UP NEXT

Iona faces new MAAC opponent Mount St. Mary's at the Hynes Center Friday night for the first time this season and for the first time in 74 years. The two teams last squared off on Dec. 17, 1949. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets are going fast, reserve yours today on IonaTickets.com.
 

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Iona Men's Basketball: Twitter, Facebook. Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)





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