The Iona men’s basketball team is currently on a 19-game win streak at home after they beat Saint Louis University 84-62, on Dec.6 at the Hynes Athletic Center.
 

The Gaels also boast a record of 5-2 and 2-0 in Metro Atlantic Athletics Conference (MAAC) play.
 

Daniss Jenkins led the Gaels again, scoring 21 points, getting four rebounds, five assists and three steals.
 

Jenkins was supported by Walter Clayton Junior who also reached 20 points and chipped in with 12 rebounds and six assists.
 

Nelly Junior Joseph also contributed to the win over the Billikens with 16 points, five rebounds and two blocks.
 

The game against Saint Louis rounded out a run of three games in five days at home for the Gaels. The Gaels swept in this period 3-0. The other two games they played were against MAAC opponents as part of the MAAC opening weekend.
 

Iona kicked off MAAC play with a double home-stint at the Hynes Athletic Center. The Gaels beat Niagara University by a score of 78-56 on Dec. 2, and then returned to blowout Canisius College 90-60 on Dec. 4.
 

Jenkins scored a career-high 31 points in the win over the Purple Eagles, as he shot 12 of 18 field goal attempts and was perfect from three-point range and the free throw line shooting 3-3 and 4-4 respectively.
 

Junior Joseph and Clayton Jr were the other Gaels to reach double figures against Niagara, scoring ten and 13 respectively. Junior Joseph had a double-double in the game after also reaching ten rebounds.
 

Osbourne Shema started against Niagara due to classmate Quinn Slazinski being out on the sidelines injured. Shema put up seven points, seven rebounds and blocked two shots for his contribution to the victory.   

As a team, the Gaels shot 45.6%-35.8% for the game and held the visitors to just 26.9% shooting in the first half.
 

The win over Niagara also means the Gaels have won their opening MAAC contest for the third straight season under head coach Rick Pitino.
 

In the 90-60 contest against the Canisius College Golden Griffins, Iona shot a field goal percentage of 55.9% and 50.0% from three-point range. The Gaels were also successful at the charity line shooting 76.2%.
 

Walter Clayton Junior led Iona with 21 points against Canisius, as he shot 7 of 10 field goals, including 3 of 4 from three-point range and 4 of 4 from the charity line. Clayton Junior also added four assists and four steals in the game.
 

Berrick JeanLouis also made a valuable contribution to the team with 16 points, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
 

Next up, the Gaels are playing at the 2022 Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational against St. Bonaventure University on Dec.11, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.  

Iona will then play five more out-of-conference matches before the end of the year and then only play MAAC opponents once the new year begins.