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Iona University Athletics

Greg Gordon
Jordan Score - Iona Athletics
69
Winner Iona Iona 6-7,1-1 MAAC
60
Harvard HU 8-4,0-0 Ivy League
Winner
Iona Iona
6-7,1-1 MAAC
69
Final
60
Harvard HU
8-4,0-0 Ivy League
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Iona Iona 31 38 69
Harvard HU 30 30 60

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

Iona MBB Tops Harvard 69-80 to Complete Non-Conference Slate

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - The Iona University men's basketball team pulled away late in a hard-fought 69-60 victory over Harvard in non-conference action at Lavietes Pavilion. Three Gaels reached the double-digit mark in points, led by an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double by junior Greg Gordon in its final non-conference contest of the 2023-24 season. Graduate Idan Tretout, who earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard, scored 15 points in his homecoming appearance and rookie Jeremiah Quigley also chipped in 15 points for the Maroon & Gold in the win.

THE RUNDOWN

Iona's 9-5 advantage following two Quigley free throws just over five minutes in was the largest lead for either team in the first half as the contest stayed within one possession for all but 14 seconds in over the first 20 minutes. Harvard's largest advantage was at 26-23 with 3:40 remaining after Chisolm Okpara sank two free throws. Quigley's strong drive to the basket with four ticks left gave the Maroon & Gold a one-point, 31-30 lead at the break.
 
The game remained tight for the first 14:10 of the second half. Harvard's took a five-point lead with 11:28 to play following an 8-0 run capped by two free throws after a technical foul on head coach Tobin Anderson. The advantage was quickly erased with six straight Iona points including back-to-back transition buckets by Gordon and a twisting drive by Tretout put Iona ahead 48-47 at the midway point of the frame. With the score tied at 52-52, another 6-0 run put Iona ahead for good. After a make from the free throw line by Gordon and another Tretout layup, graduate Osborn Shema's corner three ball gave the Gaels their largest advantage of the contest at 58-52 with 6:05 remaining. It was short lived as Harvard's Chandler Pigge answered with a three-pointer of his own on the next possession, making it a three point game. An 11-2 Iona run over a 2:11 span, with eight of the 11 scored by Quigley gave Iona a 12-point cushion nearing the two-minute mark.
 
Following the five point deficit with 11:28 to play, Iona outscored Harvard 27-10, minus a late three by the Crimson that made it a nine-point separation in the final score. Iona shot 11-for-14 during the stretch, 3-for-3 from long distance with no turnovers. They limited Harvard to 3-of-9 from the field, 1-for-4 from long distance and forced two turnovers.

IONA PERFORMERS

  • Gordon's 18 points and 11 rebounds accounted for his team-leading third double-double of the season. In the second half, he posted 11 points and nine boards with all of his scorers coming in a 4:10 span between the 12:49 and 8:39 marks of the frame. He was 8-for-16 from the field with a three pointer while adding an assist, steal and a block.
  • Tretout had 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting, adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
  • Quigley's 15 points came on 5-of-12 shooting with three boards and two assists. All eight of his second half points came during Iona's decisive run late in the contest.
  • Graduate Joel Brown had six points, five rebounds and two steals and was a menace on the defensive end in his 20 minutes of action.
  • Shema added six points, with two huge second half three pointers. He added two assists and two blocks.
  • Freshman Jean Aranguren also scored six points, converting all three field goal attempts.
  • Graduate Wheza Panzo connected on one huge three-pointer in the game, which gave the Gaels a 63-55 advantage with less than four minutes to play.

THE OPPONENT

  • Okpara had 15 points and eight boards to lead the Crimson. He was limited to 4-of-13 shooting from the field, missing his first eight attempts before his first bucket with 12:33 to play in the game.
  • Thomas Batties II posted an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.
  • Louis Lesmond had 12 points in support of Okpara and Batties.

TEAM STATISTICS

  • Iona outshot Harvard 44.3%-36.7% from the field and 31.6%-23.8% from long distance.
  • The Crimson held a distinct advantage at the free throw line, converting 19-of-25 (76.0%) attempts to the Gaels' 9-of-19 (47.4%) performance.
  • Harvard also led 39-36 overall on the boards. Iona held a 10-9 lead on the offensive glass, but second chance points were hard to come by with just six combined by both squads.
  • The Maroon & Gold posted nine assists and eight turnovers while Harvard had 12 assists and 15 turnovers. Iona led 12-6 on points off the giveaways.
  • A big advantage for the Gaels was 38-22 in the paint.

UP NEXT

The Gaels begin the heart of the MAAC schedule next weekend when they face Saint Peter's on the road Friday (Jan. 5) and host Niagara Sunday (Jan. 7) at the Hynes Center. In Iona's next home contest, it will raise a banner honoring the legacy of former head coach Jim Valvano at halftime of the game vs. the Purple Eagles.

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)





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