HAMILTON, NY - The Iona University men's basketball team earned its first true road victory of the season in a 79-73 win over four-time defending Patriot League Champion Colgate at Cotterell Court. Senior
Dejour Reaves led four-double digit scorers for the Maroon & Gold with a 20-point effort. The homecoming game for the Syracuse native Reaves also featured the Gael debut of junior
Christian Winborne who had not played due to injury.
THE RUNDOWN
Colgate held an advantage for all but one possession over the first nearly 14 minutes of the contest. Iona stayed within three points over the time frame and tallied the final lead change of the contest on a nifty baseline out of bounds conversion from rookie
Justin Menard who fed junior
James Patterson for a dunk that made the score 23-22 with 6:07 to play. The Raiders briefly tied the score at 25-25 before a layup by Menard put the Gaels ahead again with 3:19 left in the half. Iona took a four-point lead into the break on junior
Yaphet Moundi's steal at half court and transition dunk on the team's final possession. The halftime margin represented the largest lead by either squad to that point.
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A 7-0 Iona run in the second half made it 43-35 at the 16:42 mark. Menard was involved again, draining a long three-pointer from the right wing to force an early timeout by the Raiders. Colgate rebounded and within three minutes, posted a 7-0 run of their own to tie the score at 46-46. Iona never relinquished the lead, and the game remained within two possessions until Winborne's steal and breakaway layup put the Gaels ahead 72-65 with 2:33 to play. Colgate cut the deficit to three points in the final minute, but the Gaels were able to get a couple of defensive stops and made enough free throws to seal the six-point road win.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Reaves scored 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from long distance. He posted a career-best nine rebounds and six steals and added an assist in the all-around effort.
- Moundi posted 13 points and five rebounds, shooting 6-for-8 from the field including two thunderous dunks.
- Rookie Adam Njie Jr. added 12 points with three rebounds and three assists.
- Patterson posted 11 points and four rebounds.
- Senior Clarence Rupert added nine points, three rebounds and two blocks with a career-best five assists.
- Menard netted seven points and had three assists.
- In his Iona debut, Winborne played 28 minutes, scored four points, and had three rebounds and three steals.
THE OPPONENT
- Nicolas Louis-Jacques had a game-high 27 points, shooting 11-for-18 from the field and 4-for-11 from long distance.
- Jalen Cox posted 16 points and had four assists.
- Jeff Woodward led with 10 rebounds.
TEAM STATS
- Colgate outshot the Gaels 53.1%-49.2% for the game. The home team also shot 47.1% (10-for-21) from long distance.
- Iona held a 32-29 advantage on the glass including 15-9 on the offensive window. The Gaels also led 12-9 in second change points.
- The Gaels posted 14 assists and 14 turnovers while the Raiders had 16 assists and 20 giveaways. Iona led 27-12 on points off turnovers, recording a season-high 14 steals.
UP NEXT
The Gaels will wait a week for its final contest of the 2024 calendar year when they host Harvard at the Hynes Center next Sunday, December 29 in a 1 p.m. tipoff.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Iona Athletics: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
Iona Men's Basketball: Twitter, Facebook. Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
