BUFFALO, NY - The Iona University men's basketball team fell behind by 23 points in the first half and a furious comeback effort tied the score with two minutes to play but the Gaels could not break through in a 73-69 loss at Canisius in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at the Koessler Center. Freshman
Jean Aranguren scored a team-high 21 points off the bench, junior
Greg Gordon posted a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double and rookie
Jeremiah Quigley chipped in 17 points in the loss.
THE RUNDOWN
Canisius got off to a blistering start, connecting on 11-of-its-first-15 shot attempts including all six from long distance to jump out to a 28-11 lead after the first 11 and a half minutes. After cutting the deficit to 13 at 6:26 on a Quigley layup, the Gaels went scoreless for nearly five minutes, allowing Canisius to score 10 straight and gain its largest advantage, 42-19 with 2:05 to play. Gordon and Quigley scored the final four points of the half to make the halftime score 42-23.
Trailing by 18 midway through the second half, the Gaels begin their climb back to even. Nine straight points, including eight from Aranguren, cut it to nine at the seven minute mark. It was a 10-point game with 5:38 to play when Iona scored 13 of the next 16 points to pull even with two minutes left. The Griffs did not allow a point the remainder of the way and hit four free throws to win 73-69.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Aranguren scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half and added six rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. He shot 9-for-12 overall, 7-for-8 from inside the arc and 2-for-4 beyond it.
- Gordon posted his eighth double-double and fifth in the last six games with his 19 points and 10 boards. He added four steals on the defensive end.
- Quigley had 17 points, four rebounds and three assists.
- Graduate Joel Brown had eight points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
THE OPPONENT
- Griffs senior Siem Uijtendaal led all scorers with 25 points, with the help of a 5-for-8 showing from beyond the arc. He added six rebounds and two assists.
- Tre Dinkins scored 11 of his 21 points before the first media timeout, also connecting on five three pointers.
- Cam Palesse posted a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
TEAM STATS
- Canisius outshot Iona for the game 46.3%-43.9%. They held a 55.2%-30.2% advantage in the first half, before Iona took control in the second at 57.6%-36.0%
- The Griffs held a 39-35 advantage on the boards and 12-9 on second chance points.
- Iona had 10 assists and 12 turnovers while Canisius posted 13 assists and 19 giveaways. Iona led 19-18 on points off turnovers.
UP NEXT
The Gaels host archrival Manhattan at the Hynes Center Friday night in a nationally televised contest on ESPNU.
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)
