EMMITSBURG, MD - A second-half offensive cold stretch proved costly as the Iona University men's basketball team dropped a 66-59 decision at Mount St. Mary's in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at Knott Arena on Monday night. Junior
Denver Anglin led the Gaels with 13 points, while graduate
CJ Anthony added 12 in the loss. Iona's 59 points marked a season-low scoring output despite turning in its best defensive efficiency of the season, holding the Mountaineers to a .892 rating over 74 possessions.
THE RUNDOWN
Mount St. Mary's opened the game with a quick 12-4 surge in the first four minutes before Iona settled in. The Gaels responded with a three-point barrage, using a 20-8 run over the next seven minutes to grab a 24-20 lead with 9:10 remaining in the half. Iona knocked down 6-of-10 shots from beyond the arc during the stretch, including triples from Anglin, two from graduate
Toby Harris, and one apiece from graduate
Luke Jungers and junior
Kosy Akametu. Anthony added the lone two-point basket of the run as the Maroon and Gold built a four-point advantage. Iona maintained the slim edge through the closing minutes of the half and led by as many as five inside the final 90 seconds. Mount St. Mary's closed the period with a basket in the final minute to pull within 33-30 at the break.
Â
The Gaels carried the momentum into the second half, opening with an 8-2 run to extend the lead to 41-32 following Anglin's steal and layup with 16:10 to play. From there, the offense stalled. Over the next 10 minutes, Mount St. Mary's outscored Iona 26-5 as the Gaels managed just one field goal on 13 attempts and committed seven turnovers. The Mountaineers capitalized by shooting 10-for-16 during the stretch and took a 58-46 lead with just over six minutes remaining. Iona pulled within seven points on three occasions down the stretch but was unable to close the gap any further.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Anglin finished with 13 points on 5-of-15 shooting, connecting on three three-pointers while adding four steals, three assists, and two rebounds.
- Anthony scored 12 points, going 3-for-9 from the field and 5-for-6 at the line, to go along with two assists and a steal.
- Graduate Sabally recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, adding two steals and a block.
- Harris chipped in nine points, all coming from three-point range.
- Akametu contributed five points and a team-high eight rebounds.
THE OPPONENT
- Luke McEldon led all scorers with 18 points while pulling down five rebounds.
- Justin Amadi added 14 points and contributed defensively with two steals and two blocks.
- Anthony Arrington scored 10 points as Mount St. Mary's third double-figure scorer.
- Xavier Lipscomb paced the Mountaineers on the glass with nine rebounds, while Arlandus Keyes handed out five assists.
TEAM STATS
- Mount St. Mary's shot 46.6 percent from the field compared to 32.3 percent for Iona, with the Gaels limited to 9-of-35 shooting in the second half.
- Iona finished 9-of-34 from three-point range, while the Mountaineers went 3-of-17 from deep.
- Mount St. Mary's held a 43-36 rebounding edge, though Iona narrowly led on the offensive glass and in second-chance points.
- The Gaels totaled 10 assists and 15 turnovers, while the Mountaineers recorded 13 assists and 16 turnovers.
- Mount St. Mary's also controlled the interior and transition game, holding sizable advantages in points in the paint and fastbreak scoring.
UP NEXT
Iona returns home as the calendar turns to 2026 for a MAAC matchup against Siena on Friday night, Jan. 2. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Hynes Center, 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)
