BUFFALO, NY – The Iona University men's basketball team held off Canisius for a 69-63 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory at the Koessler Center. Iona closed the game on a decisive 10-4 run over the final 1:46, with junior
Denver Anglin scoring all eight of his points during the surge. Graduate
Lamin Sabally paced four double-digit scorers with 17 points and nine rebounds as the win snapped a five-game conference road losing streak.
THE RUNDOWN
Canisius raced out to a 15-9 lead just over five minutes in, fueled by a 5-for-8 start from the floor that included five three-pointers on its first seven attempts. Iona responded by tightening up defensively, holding the Griffs to 4-for-24 shooting and just 1-for-11 from beyond the arc over the final 14:41 of the half. The visitors used a 25-9 run to seize control and carried a 34-24 advantage into the locker room.
Less than two minutes into the second half, Canisius trimmed the deficit to eight. Iona answered with seven straight points, capped by a Sabally steal and layup that made it 43-28 with 14:54 to play. The Griffs would not go away, scoring 19 of the next 24 points to pull within one.
Back-to-back baskets from junior
Kosy Akametu and Sabally steadied the Gaels and pushed the lead back to five with 7:37 remaining. Two free throws from graduate
Luke Jungers extended the margin to 59-51 at the 4:50 mark before Canisius rattled off eight straight to tie the game with 2:39 left.
Anglin, who had missed his first nine shots, delivered in the clutch. He drilled a three-pointer with 1:46 to go, then followed a defensive stop with a pull-up jumper from the elbow to stretch the lead to five with one minute remaining. He converted three of four free throws down the stretch and Jungers added two more as Iona secured the six-point win.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Sabally led the way with 17 points and nine rebounds, shooting 7-for-12 from the field and knocking down his first three-pointer of the season as the first half expired. He added three assists, three steals and a block in a complete effort.
- Akametu scored 12 of his 16 points before halftime, finishing 4-for-7 from the floor and a perfect 8-for-8 at the line while contributing four rebounds, an assist and a block.
- Jungers totaled 12 points, including two three-pointers, and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
- CJ Anthony chipped in 10 points and four assists to round out the double-figure scorers.
- Anglin scored all eight of his points in the final 106 seconds, providing the decisive spark late.
THE OPPONENT
- Bryan Ndjonga paced Canisius with 17 points.
- Kahlil Singleton added 14 points and five rebounds, shooting 5-for-12 from the field and 2-for-7 from three-point range.
- Myles Wilmoth contributed 11 points and two rebounds.
- Mike Evbagharu scored all six of his points during the opening surge and finished with team highs of eight rebounds and six assists.
TEAM STATS
- Iona shot 42.6 percent from the field compared to 42.1 percent for Canisius. The Gaels were steady in both halves at 42.3 percent in the first and 42.9 percent in the second, while the Griffs rebounded from 28.1 percent shooting before halftime to 60.0 percent after the break.
- Canisius held a 35-31 edge on the glass, including a 12-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. Second-chance points were even at seven apiece.
- Iona recorded 10 assists and 11 turnovers, while the Griffs posted 14 assists and 15 giveaways. The visitors turned those miscues into a 22-13 edge in points off turnovers.
- The Maroon & Gold excelled at the foul line, converting 22 of 25 attempts. Canisius finished 6-for-10.
UP NEXT
The Gaels wrap up their annual Western New York trip Sunday with a 2 p.m. matchup at Niagara, streaming live on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE GAELS
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)
