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Iona University Athletics

Denver Anglin, Toby Harris, Keshawn Williams
Will Quincy - IonaGaels.com
83
Winner Iona Iona 9-4,1-1 MAAC
78
Vermont UVM 8-6,0-0 America East
Winner
Iona Iona
9-4,1-1 MAAC
83
Final
78
Vermont UVM
8-6,0-0 America East
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Iona Iona 36 47 83
Vermont UVM 40 38 78

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

Iona MBB Battles Vermont In 83-78 Road Win

BURLINGTON, VT – The Iona University men's basketball team toughed out an 83-78 road victory over America East powerhouse Vermont in non-conference action at Patrick Gymnasium. Graduate Toby Harris poured in a season-best 26 points, while classmate Keshawn Williams matched his season high with 20 to lead four Gaels in double figures. Iona erased a 10-point second-half deficit to hand the Catamounts just their seventh home loss since the start of the 2021-22 season, as Vermont entered the day with 62 wins in its last 68 contests in Burlington.

THE RUNDOWN

Senior Lamin Sabally's tip-in of a missed shot at the 13:46 mark gave the Gaels a five-point edge and the first multiple-possession lead of the night. Iona extended the advantage to seven at the midway point of the half when Williams buried a wing three off a second-chance opportunity created by an offensive rebound from rookie Alliou Fall. Junior Chase Cormier pushed the cushion to nine a minute and a half later with a driving layup off the glass to make it 25-16 with 8:48 remaining. The Gaels maintained control and led 32-22 following a turnaround hook shot from sophomore Khalil Badru with 5:17 on the clock, but Vermont closed the half on an 18-4 surge over the final eight and a half minutes to take a 40-36 lead into the break.
 
The Catamounts held a 47-45 advantage entering the under-16 media timeout and stretched the margin to its largest at 59-49 with 12:08 remaining. That moment marked the beginning of a takeover stretch by Harris for the Maroon & Gold. Just before Vermont reached double figures, Harris began a run of 14 consecutive points for Iona, starting at the free throw line. He followed with a layup and a turnaround jumper in the paint to trim the deficit to six with 10:46 to play. After a Vermont three, Fall found Harris on a backdoor cut for a dunk that made it 62-55 at the 10:09 mark. Following another Catamount bucket, Harris was fouled on back-to-back three-point attempts and calmly knocked down all six free throws to pull Iona within three with just over eight minutes remaining.
 
Vermont answered with a free throw, but the Gaels responded with three straight baskets. A driving layup by junior Kosy Akametu and consecutive clutch jumpers from Williams gave Iona its first lead of the second half. The Catamounts briefly reclaimed the advantage at the line, but Harris answered again with back-to-back field goals, including a deep three-pointer that put the Gaels ahead 72-68 for good. Vermont closed to a one-possession game with 11 seconds left, but junior Denver Anglin sealed the win with two composed free throws in the closing moments.

IONA PERFORMERS

  • Harris scored 21 of his season-high 26 points in the second half, shooting 7-for-10 from the floor, 2-for-3 from three and a perfect 10-for-10 at the line after halftime. He added four rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench.
  • Williams finished 9-for-15 from the field with two three-pointers, five rebounds and matched his season-best scoring output with 20 points.
  • Anglin scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half before knocking down the game-clinching free throws in the final seconds. He added four rebounds and a steal.
  • Akametu tallied all 11 of his points in the second half, shooting 4-for-8 with a three-pointer and two free throws, and led the team with six rebounds.
  • Fall did not score but delivered a strong all-around effort with four rebounds, four blocks, a team-best three assists and a steal in 33 minutes.

THE OPPONENT

  • Gus Yalden led Vermont with 24 points and seven rebounds.
  • TJ Hurley finished with 16 points and nine rebounds.
  • Sean Blake added 12 points and a team-high four assists.

TEAM STATS

  • Iona shot 54.5 percent from the field compared to Vermont's 44.8 percent, including a blistering 71.4 percent clip in the second half. The Gaels went 15-for-19 at the free throw line after the break.
  • Vermont connected on nine three-pointers but shot just 29.0 percent from long range, while Iona went 6-for-17 for 35.3 percent.
  • The Gaels held a 36-32 edge on the glass. Vermont owned a 10-5 advantage in offensive rebounds, but Iona finished with an 11-10 edge in second-chance points.
  • Iona recorded five assists and six turnovers, while Vermont posted nine assists and five giveaways.

UP NEXT

Following a nine-day break that includes the Christmas holiday, the Gaels return to action and dive into the heart of their MAAC slate by closing a three-game road trip at defending MAAC Tournament champion Mount St. Mary's next Monday, Dec. 29. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Emmitsburg, with the game streaming on ESPN+.

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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