CHARLESTON, S.C. - A three-point attempt by the Iona University men's basketball team on the game's final possession rimmed out as the Gaels fell short, 71-69 to Charleston in non-conference action at TD Arena. The Maroon & Gold trailed by as many as eight points in the second half and took a lead in the final minute.
THE RUNDOWN
The two teams went toe-to-toe to start the contest, scoring at a frenetic pace in the first five-plus minutes. Charleston led 13-12 at the first media timeout. Iona junior
Greg Gordon scored 10 of the team's first dozen points to begin his Maroon & Gold tenure. After graduate
Terrell Williams Jr. gave Iona a 16-13 advantage, the Cougars scored nine straight and 13 of the next 15 points over a 4:20 span, leading 27-18, the largest margin of the game. Graduate
Idan Tretout capped a 13-6 run with a three-pointer to make the score 33-31. It was a four-point game after Iona's final possession, but a three-pointer by the Cougars as time expired made the halftime score 46-39.
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Charleston maintained a single-digit lead throughout the majority of the second half. A 7-0 run by the Gaels made it a 50-49 game with 14:38 to play. After back-to-back buckets by the Cougars, Gordon answered by scoring twice in a six second span. He converted a second layup after stealing the inbound on the full-court press to make it a one-point game. Nearly two minutes later, freshman
Jean Aranguren hit a three-pointer from the wing to give Iona its first lead, 56-54 since the opening half at the 10:18 mark. Iona held the lead for nearly three minutes as neither team was able to find a basket. The Charleston scoring drought lasted more than five minutes. Five straight for the home team made it a three point advantage for Charleston with less than seven minutes to play. It remained a one possession game the remainder of the way. Iona took its last lead in the final minute when freshman
Jeremiah Quigley picked off a sideline out of bounds pass and scored uncontested to put the Gaels ahead 69-68. Charleston answered back with a layup inside to regain a one-point advantage. Iona's next possession resulted in a good look through hard contact at the rim from Gordon, but the Gaels were ultimately forced to foul. Charleston made 1-of-2 free throw attempts with 4.2 seconds remaining, leading to the Maroon & Gold's final game winning attempt that fell just short.
IONA PERFORMERS
- All 10 players in the lineup for the Gaels made their Iona debut.
- Gordon posted an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double, shooting 9-for-23 from the field. He added three steals and two assists.
- Tretout had 17 points and three boards, connecting on two three-pointers.
- Quigley debuted with nine points, on 4-of-6 shooting. He had four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
- Aranguren had eight points and six rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.
- Williams added seven points while graduates Wheza Panzo and Joel Brown had six and four points, respectively.
THE OPPONENT
- Ante Brzovic, Frankie Policelli, and Ben Burnham had double-digit efforts.
- Brzovic had 16 points in 21 minutes off the bench.
- Policelli had 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
- Burnham posted 13 points, four rebounds and three steals.
TEAM STATS
- A relatively evenly matched game across the board on the stat line with the exception of free throw performance.
- Charleston held a 42.4% - 41.4% shooting advantage but the Gaels made four more field goals (29-25).
- Each team hit five three-pointers; Iona held a 25.0%-17.9% make percentage advantage.
- The Cougars led 40-39 on the boards.
- Iona had three less turnovers, 14-11
- Points in the paint were even at 40-40.
- Charleston shot 16-for-20 from the free throw line. Iona was 6-for-8.
- After allowing the home team to shoot 51.5% from the field in the first half, the Gaels limited the Cougars to 30.8% in the second, forcing eight turnovers in the final 20 minutes.
UP NEXT
Iona returns to New Rochelle for its home opener vs. Sacred Heart on Friday (November 10) in a 7 p.m. tipoff. Tickets are available on IonaTickets.com.
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