NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona University men's basketball team never trailed in an 85-65 win over Colgate in non-conference action at the Hynes Center. Freshman Jean Aranguren posted a career-best 22 points leading five players in double-figures in the Gaels final home contest of the 2023 calendar year.

THE RUNDOWN

Iona got off to a torrid start on both ends of the floor, taking a double-digit advantage less than eight minutes and maintaining for the final 32. The big blow was a 12-2 run over a 1:52 span that expanded the Gael lead to 15. Five different players recorded buckets, bookended by three pointers from graduates Idan Tretout and Joel Brown. The Maroon & Gold held Colgate to just one field goal in the final eight minutes of the frame and scored the final seven points heading into halftime to earn its largest lead and double-up its opponent 48-24 at the break.
 
Nine straight points in a 1:45 stretch early in the second half gave Iona its largest lead of the contest at 32 points. Aranguren scored 10 of the Gaels' first 13 points of the period to put his team ahead 63-31 with 15:35 to play. Colgate ended the game on a 16-6 run to close the final margin to 85-65.

IONA PERFORMERS

• Aranguren came off the bench and led the Gaels with 22 points and eight rebounds. He shot 8-for-9 from the field, 6-for-6 from inside the arc and 4-of-6 from the free throw line. He added two steals.
• Tretout posted 14 points, four assists and two rebounds.
• Graduate Wheza Panzo scored 12 points, with three long distance connections and a conventional three-point play.
• Junior Greg Gordon had 11 points and six boards, shooting 5-for-7.
• Brown also posted 11 points on a 4-for-5 shooting effort with four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
• Graduate Osborn Shema, in his Hynes Center debut posted five points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
• Rookie Jeremiah Quigley also had five points with a team-leading six assists and just one turnover.

THE OPPONENT

• Braeden Smith led the team with 14 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
• Sam Thomson added 10 points and Ryan Moffatt had nine for the visitors.

TEAM STATS

• Iona outshot Colgate 54.4%-45.1% overall and 47.8%-35.0% from long distance. The Gaels hit 11 three pointers, the fifth time this season they reached double digits.
• The Gaels outrebounded the Raiders 37-24, including a 10-8 advantage on the offensive glass though Colgate led 10-8 on second chance points.
• Iona had 20 assists and 11 turnovers while its counterpart had 16 and 11.  The Gaels led 16-13 on points off turnovers.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• The Gaels improved to 5-0 all-time vs. the Raiders in the teams' first meeting since January 1997.
• Since the 2020-21 campaign, both teams hold an identical 69-29 record, tying for most wins and highest winning percentage among the 22 active NCAA Division I teams in New York State.
• Aranguren scored 20 points for the second straight home game and is tied for the team lead with two such overall efforts.
• Tonight's game was the 600th the Gaels have played inside of the Hynes Center, originally named Mulcahy Center since its opening in 1974-75.
• Iona and Colgate will meet again in 2024-25 in Hamilton, NY.

UP NEXT

Iona completes its non-conference schedule on the road at Harvard next Saturday (Dec. 30) on ESPN+

SOCIAL MEDIA

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