LEWISTON, NY - Freshman
Adam Njie Jr. hit a pull up jump shot from the elbow with .9 seconds remaining to lead the Iona University men's basketball team to a 65-63 win over Niagara in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at the Gallagher Center. Senior
Dejour Reaves posted a game-high 23 points and Njie chipped in 13 in the hard fought victory on the road. With the win, Iona held on to its fifth place spot in the standings and secured the fifth bid into the upcoming 10-team MAAC tournament in Atlantic City in two weeks.
THE RUNDOWN
Up one with 9:26 to play, Iona scored 10 straight in a two-plus minute span to open a 24-13 lead. Junior
Yaphet Moundi stuffed home an Njie alley-oop feed with 7:08 remaining to build the advantage. Niagara answered with a 10-2 run to cut it to three with 3:04 left. A Reaves jumper on Iona's final possession made it a six-point game at the break.
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Just under seven minutes into the second half, Iona regained a double digit advantage on a Reaves layup in transition following a near full court pass from rookie
Justin Menard that made the score 46-35 with 13:09 to play. It was a 10-point game with 8:16 left following sophomore
Comeh Emuobor's drive to the rim to make it 53-43. The Purple Eagles chipped away over the next four and a half minutes and took a lead for one possession following a 13-2 run. Njie and Reaves stopped the run with back-to-back jumpers. Iona would not relinquish the lead, but Niagara knotted the score at 63-63 with 19 seconds left. On the Gaels' final turn, Njie drove his man into solid Moundi screen and calmly sank a 16-footer for the game winner. A full court attempt with .9 seconds left by the home team was intercepted and time ran out.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Reaves' 23 points came on 10-of-17 shooting with three three-pointers. He added four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
- Njie scored 13 points and dished out eight assists to go along with four rebounds.
- Moundi posted seven points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
- Senior Clarence Rupert posted five points and 10 rebounds.
- Emuobor posted six points.
THE OPPONENT
- Josiah Davis scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead the home team.
- Jaeden Marshall added 12 points and two assists.
- Olumide Adelodun had nine points and five steals.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Iona out shot Niagara 50.0%-40.4% for the game and connected on 6-of-16 from long distance.
- The Gaels also out rebounded Niagara 39-29, 9-8 on the offensive glass and 10-7 on second chance points.
- Iona posted 18 assists and 16 turnovers while Niagara had 15 assists and 15 giveaways. The Purple Eagles led 21-12 on points off turnovers.
UP NEXT
The Gaels complete action in Western New York Sunday vs. Canisius in a 1 p.m. tipoff on ESPN+
SOCIAL MEDIA
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