NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona University men's basketball team dropped an 83-76 decision to Mount St. Mary's in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon at the Hynes Center. Graduate
Lamin Sabally paced five double-figure scorers with a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double in the setback.
THE RUNDOWN
The opening half unfolded within two possessions nearly the entire way, with Mount St. Mary's creating its largest cushion on the game's first two trips. Back-to-back three pointers from Abdou Khadre Kebe gave the visitors a 6-0 edge just over a minute in. Iona answered with a run of its own and claimed its biggest lead at 20-16 on a Sabally putback with 7:58 remaining. The Mountaineers responded late and carried a five-point advantage into the locker room.
Mount St. Mary's maintained control throughout the second half, though the margin stayed tight until the final five minutes. Anthony Arrington converted a pair of free throws with 4:54 to play to stretch the lead to 68-61, beginning a decisive 9-2 run. The surge pushed the advantage to 75-63 with 2:56 left. Iona closed the gap late, with graduate
Luke Jungers knocking down a three pointer in the final seconds to set the closing margin.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Sabally delivered an efficient performance, shooting 8-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-5 at the line on his way to 20 points. He collected 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, for his sixth double-double of the season, while adding three assists and a block.
- Graduate CJ Anthony finished with 14 points and eight assists without committing a turnover. He went 4-for-10 from the field and 6-of-11 from the free throw line.
- Jungers reached double figures on his final shot, ending the afternoon with 12 points. He connected on three three pointers and was a perfect 3-for-3 at the stripe after being fouled on a shot beyond the arc.
- Junior Denver Anglin chipped in 11 points, while graduate Kosy Akametu added 10 points and four rebounds.
THE OPPONENT
- Luke McEldon and Trey Deveaux led the Mountaineers with 17 points apiece. McEldon added four rebounds and three assists, while Deveaux grabbed two boards.
- Arlandus Keyes contributed 15 points and eight rebounds, knocking down five of eight attempts from long range.
- Kebe finished with 12 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Arrington added 11 points as the fifth Mount St. Mary's player in double figures, and Xavier Lipscomb posted eight points and eight assists.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Mount St. Mary's shot 50.0 percent from the field compared to 42.4 percent for Iona. Both teams made 25 field goals, but the visitors converted two more three pointers and five additional free throws to account for the difference.
- The Mountaineers held a 36-29 edge on the glass and a narrow 12-11 advantage in offensive rebounds, though the Gaels led 14-12 in second-chance points.
- Iona recorded 14 assists and matched a season low with four turnovers. Mount St. Mary's finished with 15 assists and 11 giveaways. The Gaels scored 14 points off those turnovers, while the visitors managed 10 points on four miscues.
- Mount St. Mary's went 22-for-30 from the free throw line, while Iona finished 17-for-24.
UP NEXT
Iona heads to Western New York for its annual road swing, beginning with a matchup at Canisius on Friday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m., followed by a visit to Niagara on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. Both contests will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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