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Iona University Athletics

Kosy Akametu
Bill Kiser - USVI
75
Iona Iona 4-1,0-0 MAAC
96
Winner Akron UA 4-1,0-0 MAC
Iona Iona
4-1,0-0 MAAC
75
Final
96
Akron UA
4-1,0-0 MAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Iona Iona 33 42 75
Akron UA 47 49 96

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

Iona MBB Falls to Akron 96-75 in Paradise Jam Opener

ST. THOMAS, USVI – The Iona University men's basketball team dropped its first contest of the season, falling 96-75 to Akron in its opener at the 2025 Paradise Jam presented by Basketball Travelers. The Zips seized control early in the non-conference match up at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center and never relinquished the momentum.

THE RUNDOWN

Iona briefly took a 3-2 lead on a corner three by graduate Keshawn Williams, its only advantage of the evening. Akron responded with 10 straight points and never trailed again. The Zips pushed the margin to 25 with 4:38 left in the opening half, but the Gaels closed the frame with an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to 47-33 at the break.
 
Williams opened the second half with a conventional three-point play to get Iona within 11, but Akron immediately countered with a nine-point burst to extend the gap once more.

IONA PERFORMERS

  • Junior Kosy Akametu led the Gaels with 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.
  • Graduate CJ Anthony totaled 13 points, six assists, and three rebounds, shooting 5-for-10 from the field with one three-pointer.
  • Williams added 12 points and three rebounds.
  • Sophomore Khalil Badru provided nine second-half points off the bench and collected two steals.
  • Senior Lamin Sabally chipped in seven points, five rebounds, and two assists.

THE OPPONENT

  • Freshman Eric Mahaffey paced the Zips with 20 points and eight rebounds, shooting 8-for-9 from the field and adding three assists.
  • Senior Tavari Johnson tallied 19 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
  • Senior Evan Mahaffey contributed 16 points and six rebounds.
  • Graduate Shammah Scott posted 14 points and a team-high five assists.
  • Senior Bowen Hardman added 10 points.

TEAM STATISTICS

  • Akron outshot Iona 53.8% to 43.5%, including a 9-of-21 (42.9%) mark from three compared to Iona's 8-of-25 (32.0%).
  • The Zips held a 40-31 edge on the glass; offensive rebounds were even at 11-11, while Akron led 15-14 in second-chance points.
  • Akron posted a 20-to-11 assist-to-turnover ratio, while Iona finished with 12 assists and 17 turnovers. The Zips capitalized with a 26-14 advantage in points off turnovers.

UP NEXT

Iona returns to action tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. ET, facing the loser of the final game of the day between Evansville and Oregon State.

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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