NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - A three-pointer by Niagara's Braxton Bayless with 0.8 seconds remaining led to a 75-73 loss for the Iona University men's basketball team in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at the Hynes Center. A defensive stop by the Gaels on the previous possession led to a go ahead bucket by junior
Greg Gordon with just over six seconds left prior to the game winner by the Purple Eagles. Gordon led all scorers with 24 points while graduate
Idan Tretout chipped in 22 for the Maroon & Gold in the loss.
THE RUNDOWN
Although Iona led for nearly 11 minutes in the first half, the margin remained within two possessions and featured six ties and seven lead changes. The Gaels' largest lead in the frame was six, following a three-pointer from the win by rookie
Jean Aranguren that made the score 9-3 at 16:51. Niagara's largest advantage came four minutes later following a 12-2 run that made it 15-11. Gordon's layup following a Tretout steal as time expired gave Iona a two point advantage at the break.
Â
Iona trailed by two early in the second half. A 14-2 run over a nearly three minute span gave the Gaels a double-digit lead. Freshman
Jeremiah Quigley punctuated the run with a three-pointer to give the home team a 51-41 lead with 15:31 to play. After trading a pair of field goals on the next two possessions, the Purple Eagles scored 17 straight points and led 63-55 at the 8:26 mark. The Maroon & Gold answered with a 12-3 run and took a 67-66 lead with 2:28 to play following a tough bucket by Tretout in the paint. Niagara took the lead a couple of possessions later, hitting the first of three critical three pointers. Graduate
Osborn Shema responded with a tough bucket from the corner to knot the score at 69-69 with 1:05 remaining. The Purple Eagles found Luke Bumbalough on the wing and took a three-point lead with 34 seconds left. After a Tretout layup cut the margin to one, Iona picked up a steal on the ensuing inbound leading to Gordon's go-ahead bucket with six ticks remaining. With no timeouts remaining for either team, Bayless converted the game winner for Niagara. After hitting 5-of-its-first-17 three point attempts in the first 38 minutes of the contest, Niagara hit its last three attempts in the final 1:37.
IONA PERFOMERS
- Gordon shot 12-of-17 from the field to account for his season-best 24 point effort. He added four rebounds, four steals and two assists.
- Tretout was 10-of-15 from the field and 2-of-4 from long distance, posting five rebounds, five steals and three assists.
- Graduate Joel Brown posted nine points and a team best four assists with no turnovers.
- Quigley added eight points and Aranguren added eight points and five boards.
THE OPPONENT
- Bayless led four Niagara scorers with 22 points, aided by a 10-for-10 showing from the charity stripe.
- Ahmad Henderson had 14 points and Yaw Obeng-Mensah posted 11 points and five boards.
- Harlan Obioha led with nine rebounds.
TEAM STATISTICS
- The Gaels held a slim 50.0%-49.0% shooting advantage and made seven more field goals than the Purple Eagles. The visitors closed the margin with three more long distance connections and 13 more makes from the charity stripe.
- Iona was 6-for-14 at the free throw line while Niagara was 19-for-24.
- Niagara held a 41-24 rebounding advantage and 12-7 on the offensive board but only 13-10 on second chance points.
- Iona had 13 assists and seven turnovers while Niagara posted nine assists and 20 turnovers.
- The Gaels had a 30-7 advantage on points off turnovers and 48-32 in the paint.
VALVANO TO THE RAFTERS
During the contest, Iona recognized the legacy of former head coach Jim Valvano by raising just the second banner honoring a member of its men's basketball program. Valvano joins fellow Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, Richie Guerin, in the rafters at the Hynes Center.
UP NEXT
Iona has one game next week when it hosts Mount St. Mary's at the Hynes Center next Sunday (January 14) at 1 p.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)
