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Iona University Athletics

CJ Anthony
81
Winner Iona Iona 7-3,1-1 MAAC
69
Sacred Heart SH 3-6,1-1 MAAC
Winner
Iona Iona
7-3,1-1 MAAC
81
Final
69
Sacred Heart SH
3-6,1-1 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Iona Iona 36 45 81
Sacred Heart SH 32 37 69

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

Iona MBB Bounces Back In 81-69 Win At Sacred Heart

FAIRFIELD, CT - The Iona University men's basketball team bounced back from its league opening defeat Friday night and earned an 81-69 road victory over Sacred Heart in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action Sunday afternoon at the William H. Pitt Center. Graduate CJ Anthony led the Gaels with 15 points as six players reached at least nine and all 11 who saw the floor scored for the Maroon & Gold.

THE RUNDOWN

Iona withstood a fast Sacred Heart start that saw the Pioneers take a 13-4 lead less than six minutes into the contest. The Gaels opened just 1-for-9 from the floor and 1-for-7 from long distance before a pick-and-roll finish by Toby Harris off a slick Anthony feed sparked a surge. Iona rattled off 17 of the next 19 points to grab a 21-15 lead at the midway point of the half, shooting 7-for-7 during a blistering three and a half minute stretch that featured three triples.
 
Although Sacred Heart briefly reclaimed the lead, back-to-back threes by junior Chase Cormier pushed Iona in front for good at 29-26. After the cold start, the Gaels converted 14 of their final 24 attempts (58.3 percent) in the half to take a 36-32 advantage into halftime.
 
The Pioneers scored on the first possession of the second half, but Iona answered with a decisive 15-4 run to extend its lead to 51-38 just over four minutes into the period. Once again, the Gaels were perfect from the field during that burst, going 6-for-6 with a three and two free throws in just 3:21. Sacred Heart battled to within 59-55 at the midway point, but the Gaels responded with 11 of the next 13 points, including seven from the free throw line, to rebuild a double digit margin.
 
The Pioneers' final push brought them within seven with 5:17 remaining, but a quick five point response by the Gaels, capped by a dagger three from Harris, restored a 12 point cushion with under three minutes left and sealed the road victory.

IONA PERFORMERS

  • CJ Anthony led the Gaels with 15 points, adding eight assists and three steals while shooting 5-for-8 with just one turnover in 29 minutes. He played a role in Iona's first seven field goals, scoring three of them and assisting on the other four.
  • Lamin Sabally, Toby Harris, and Denver Anglin each supplied 11 points to contribute to the balanced attack.
  • Anglin delivered a strong two-way performance, shooting 4-for-8 with three steals, two assists, and two rebounds.
  • Sabally was highly efficient at 4-for-5 from the field and added six rebounds and three assists.
  • Harris came off the bench to hit two timely threes and pull down six rebounds.
  • Keshawn Williams posted nine points, six rebounds, two assists, and three steals, including seven of Iona's first nine points of the second half to spark the initial separation.
  • Chase Cormier added nine points in nine minutes off the bench and buried all three of his three point attempts.

THE OPPONENT

  • Nyle Ralph-Beyer and Yann Farell led Sacred Heart with 16 points each and both hit four three pointers.
  • Dashon Gittens added 11 points.
  • Anquan Hill and Abdou Yadd scored 10 points each, with Hill leading the way with eight rebounds.
  • Mekhi Conner finished with six points, a game high nine assists, and six turnovers.

TEAM STATS

  • Iona outshot Sacred Heart 45.9 percent to 41.4 percent. After the opening 1-for-9 stretch, the Gaels made 27 of their final 52 attempts (51.9 percent).
  • The Pioneers hit 13 three pointers while Iona reached double digit threes for the sixth time in 10 games.
  • Sacred Heart held slight edges on the glass at 35-33 overall and 11-10 on the offensive boards, but Iona converted those opportunities into an 11-8 advantage in second chance points.
  • Both teams recorded 17 assists. Iona committed only 10 turnovers and forced a season high 20 from the Pioneers.
  • The Gaels dominated the bench scoring category with a 34-10 advantage.

UP NEXT

Iona returns home Wednesday night for its final home non conference game of the season. The Gaels host Bryant at 7 p.m. 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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