NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona University men's basketball team struck first and never relinquished control in a 66-57 win over Manhattan in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at the Hynes Center on Wednesday evening. Junior Kosy Akametu poured in a career-high 23 points to lead three players in double figures as the Maroon and Gold secured a second straight victory during a three-game homestand in New Rochelle.

THE RUNDOWN

After the Gaels missed their first three attempts of the evening, Akametu opened the scoring 1:38 into the game with a three-pointer from the wing. Manhattan answered from the free throw line one minute later to knot the score, marking the lone tie of the contest. Just 18 seconds later, graduate Lamin Sabally finished a putback layup to push Iona in front for good.
 
The lead reached double figures for the first time at the 11:24 mark when graduate CJ Anthony connected on a step-back jumper inside the paint to make it 18-8. Akametu capped his strong first half with his third triple at 2:10, stretching the advantage to 30-17. The Jaspers closed the half with five of the final seven points to trim the margin to 32-22 at the break.
 
Junior Denver Anglin buried a three-pointer at 16:24 of the second half to give the home side its largest lead of the game at 40-24. Manhattan responded with a quick six-point run to cut a 13-point deficit to 44-37 in less than 40 seconds. The visitors drew within four at the 4:17 mark and again pulled within three with 1:36 remaining on a three-point play by Jaden Winston. From there, Iona sealed the win at the line, knocking down 11 of its final 12 free throws and closing the game on an 11-5 run.

IONA PERFORMERS

• Akametu delivered a career night, shooting 7-for-12 from the field, 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and a perfect 6-for-6 at the line in the final 1:36. He finished with 23 points, five rebounds, a steal and a block.
• Anglin added 12 points and two rebounds, including a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the stripe in the closing minutes.
• Anthony filled the box score with 11 points, six rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block.
• Sabally was active on both ends, recording eight points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals.
• Sophomore Khalil Badru chipped in four points and four rebounds off the bench.

THE OPPONENT

• Devin Dinkins led Manhattan with 13 points to go along with two rebounds and two assists.
• Winston bounced back from an 0-for-6 start from the field to connect on four of his final seven attempts, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.
• Terrance Jones stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, eight rebounds, five steals and four assists.
• Anthony Isaac pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds.

TEAM STATS

• Iona shot 41.1 percent from the field while holding Manhattan to 33.3 percent shooting and knocked down eight three-pointers.
• The Gaels held a 40-34 edge on the glass. Offensive rebounds were even at 12 apiece, though the Jaspers held an 11-8 advantage in second-chance points.
• Iona finished with 11 assists and 12 turnovers, while Manhattan posted 12 assists and 11 giveaways.
• Playing its sixth straight game under 69 possessions, the Gaels improved to 10-4 in slower-paced contests, 14-2 when posting an offensive efficiency above 1.00 and 9-1 when holding opponents under 1.00. The program also moved to 71-1 over the last 16 seasons when limiting an opponent to below 0.88 points per possession.

UP NEXT

Iona closes its homestand on Friday by hosting Fairfield at the Hynes Center. The matchup marks the 12th and final MAAC opponent the Gaels will face for the first time during the 2025-26 season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

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