The Iona University men’s basketball team won three games in a row from Jan. 26 to Feb. 4, improving their record to 11-10 overall and 7-3 at home.
Iona had been riding a hot streak heading into their last matchup of January against Siena College in Albany, N.Y., winning two out of their past three games over Mount St. Mary’s University and Canisius College.
Junior Greg Gordon set the tone early on for the Gaels, hitting a wide open three-pointer during the game’s first possession. Iona eventually strolled to a 10-2 lead thanks in part to this play.
Graduate student Osborn Shema also hit a three of his own, leading his team to a 17-6 advantage around the 12-minute mark. Gordon then scored a trio of layups and extended the lead to 20 right before the half.
Freshman Dylan Saunders, in his third-highest minute total of the season, posted four important insurance buckets in total, but made a heads-up run underneath the basket to make it 41-16.
The Gaels started to lose control of the court as the game was winding down, committing four of their five turnovers and allowing the Saints to go on a 24-12 run in the last 10 minutes of the second half. Nonetheless, Iona won comfortably, 70-51, thanks to double-digit point performances from Gordon and freshman Jeremiah Quigley.
Iona’s two-game road stretch came to an end as the team returned to the Hynes Athletic Center for a matchup against Fairfield University on Feb. 2.
Fairfield seemed to be unstoppable right out of the gate, scoring 11 unanswered points and ultimately holding a hefty 14-point lead. Iona freshman Jean Aranguren, who tabulated eight scores on the day, was the first Maroon and Gold player to get on the board.
Iona did get on track with a 10-point stretch soon after, including three free throws from Quigley. Gordon got the ball rolling as well and, after a pair of layups to his name, brought the Gaels to a one-point deficit.
Shema’s late three, a booming Gordon dunk and Iona’s defensive stop within the final minutes of the second half allowed the home team to come away with a 91-82 victory.
The Gaels’ last home game during this period was different in that the score was far more balanced than the previous affair.
Rider University was strong from the get-go, going up 11-4 after three minutes. The two teams continued to trade leads, and the Broncs capped off the first-twenty with a buzzer-beating three-point shot from DJ Dudley.
Graduate Wheza Panzo hit a three-ball at the end of a 15-2 Iona run, making it 53-40 shortly into the second half. The Broncs never faltered, though, and made up for their early mistakes with a crucial three and a trio of free throws.
Time was on the Gaels’ side, as the clock ran out right after Dudley hit another clutch three-pointer in the final seconds. Iona won by a rather close 94-93 score.
Both Gordon and Quigley were awarded by the MAAC for their powerful performances, earning Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively. Gordon averaged 31.5 points and nine rebounds, while Quigley scored 18.5 points per game on 52.9% shooting.
Iona will take on Niagara University and Canisius College on the road before coming back home for an ESPNU matchup versus Manhattan College on Feb. 16.
