NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Graduate Toby Harris buried a step-back corner three with 1.1 seconds remaining to lift the Iona University men's basketball team to a dramatic 61-60 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Merrimack Thursday night at the Hynes Center. The Gaels closed the contest on a 5-0 run over the final 20 seconds to earn the hard fought win. Junior Denver Anglin delivered a season-high 22 points while graduate Lamin Sabally added 18 in the victory.

THE RUNDOWN

The entire 40 minutes unfolded within two possessions, with the largest leads for both teams coming in the opening half. Merrimack struck first, claiming its biggest advantage less than five minutes in on a Andres Marrero three to make it 14-9. Iona answered with a surge of its own later in the half, building a six-point lead after a triple from graduate CJ Anthony pushed the score to 23-17. The Warriors closed the period with a late run, however, sending the Gaels into the locker room trailing by two at the break.
 
The second half remained a one possession affair for all but seven possessions. Iona briefly moved in front 45-40 on a corner three from junior Chase Cormier at the 14:29 mark, then reclaimed a 52-48 edge with 8:24 remaining following an Anglin three. Sabally extended the margin to four once more at 5:52 with a pair of free throws.
 
Trailing by two with 35 seconds left, Merrimack's zone forced a turnover and a quick Iona foul. Two free throws stretched the margin to four with 17 seconds on the clock. The Maroon & Gold responded immediately as Sabally finished a dunk off an Anthony feed to cut the deficit to 60-58 with 12 seconds left. Another foul sent the Warriors to the line for a one-and-one, but the front end was missed. The Gaels secured the rebound and raced down the court.  Sabally secured the ball at the free throw line, spun toward the lane, and with time closing out fired a pass to Harris in the corner. Harris slipped his defender, stepped back, and buried the game winner. Merrimack's desperation heave at the buzzer fell short as Iona escaped with the one-point victory.

IONA PERFORMERS

• Anglin scored 19 of his 22 points in the first half, finishing 8-for-13 from the field and 6-for-9 from three-point range. He added two assists and two steals.
• Sabally turned in a vintage stat-stuffing performance with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals. He went 5-for-10 from the floor, 8-for-12 at the line, and drew nine of Merrimack's 14 fouls.
• Harris' late heroics capped a nine-point night. After opening the game 0-for-6 from deep, he connected on all three attempts in the second half.
• Anthony contributed an all-around effort with seven points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

THE OPPONENT

• Kevair Kennedy led all scorers with 23 points, shooting 10-for-20 from the field while adding eight rebounds and three assists.
• Ernest Shelton finished with 13 points and five rebounds, though one of the MAAC's top perimeter threats was limited to 2-for-7 from long distance.
• KC Ugwuakazi added 11 points and nine rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass.

TEAM STATS

• Merrimack held a 44.4 percent to 37.0 percent advantage in overall shooting. Iona knocked down 11-of-28 from three-point range while the Warriors finished 5-for-18.
• The visitors owned a 38-30 edge on the glass, including a 13-11 margin in offensive rebounds and a 13-9 advantage in second chance points.
• The Gaels recorded 15 assists against 11 turnovers, while Merrimack posted nine assists and 13 giveaways.

UP NEXT

A quick turnaround awaits as Iona welcomes archrival Manhattan to the Hynes Center on Saturday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. The matchup marks the program's annual Gold Rush game.

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