ESTERO, Florida - The Iona University men's basketball team dropped an 82-68 decision to High Point in its opening contest at the 2023 Gulf Coast Showcase at Hertz Arena. Graduate
Wheza Panzo scored 18 points and freshman
Jeremiah Quigley added 11 in the loss.
THE RUNDOWN
High Point jumped out to an early 17-5 lead with the help of five three-point field goals in the first four-plus minutes. The Gaels got within seven at the 14:46 mark five straight points from Quigley and Panzo that made the score 17-10. It was as close as the Maroon & Gold would get. The Panthers answered with back-to-back trifectas to regain a double-digit lead, which they would hold until Iona's final possession of the half. Panzo drained another three with under 10 seconds left to put the halftime deficit at 41-32.
Â
Panzo hit another three in the first minute to get Iona within eight. A 13-1 run by High Point gave it a 20-point advantage with 14:37 to play. Iona scored seven of the final eight points of the game to put the final margin at 82-68.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Panzo shot 6-for-11 from the field and 5-of-8 from long distance in his 18-point effort.
- Quigley shot 4-of-8 and had a team-leading six rebounds and six assists.
- Freshman Jean Aranguren added eight points.
- Graduates Joel Brown and Terrell Williams Jr. posted seven a piece. Brown had three assists and two steals while Williams added four rebounds.
THE OPPONENT
- Abdoulaye Thiam had a game high 27 points, connecting on four three-pointers with a 7-for-7 effort from the charity stripe.
- Kimani Hamilton had 15 points and led with eight rebounds.
- Duke Miles netted 12 points and dished out five assists while Kezza Giffa also added 12.
TEAM STATS
- High Point out shot Iona 44.9%-37.9%. Each team made 22 field goals.
- The Panthers also had a 42.9%-34.6% advantage from distance and 12-9 on makes.
- The biggest deficit the Gaels faced was at the line. High Point shot 26-for-30, with 21-of-23 in the second half. Iona was 15-of-21 from the free throw line.
- Iona had 13 assists to nine turnovers while High Point had nine assists and 11 giveaways.
UP NEXT
The Gaels face the loser of Long Beach State and Illinois State tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11 a.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow Iona University 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)