After two big wins against the Merrimack Warriors, who are at the top of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and rival Manhattan Jaspers, the Iona Gaels are looking to keep that momentum going into the next few weeks.
The first of these games was a game at the Hynes Athletic Center against Fairfield, with a close ending resulting in a 70-71 final score in favor of the Stags.
Two vital players throughout the game were CJ Anthony, who put up 20 points, and Toby Harris, who had 14 points. Both teams were strong in the first half, and it looked like Iona had the advantage, scoring 35 points in the first half to beat Fairfield’s 34. Then in the second half, Fairfield put up 37 points, while Iona was only able to produce 35 points. This game came down to final seconds, as the deciding points all came down to Halon Rawlins, a guard for Fairfield; he was fouled and sent to the line to determine the game.
The Gaels would try to get momentum back on Feb. 5, when they played the Siena Saints in Albany, New York. The final score, however, would see the Gaels lose their second straight game, 79-72.
They dominated in the first half putting up 47 pts and threatening for more. However, Siena was able to put up just enough to stay in the game adding 40 pts in the first half. But Iona fell apart in the second half only adding 25 points while Siena put up 39 points and Siena guard Gavin Doty had a game to remember having a 25 points majority in the second half to help secure the victory for the Saints.
The Iona men’s basketball team faced Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers at the Hynes Athletic Center on Feb. 7, looking to get a win after losing two back-to-back games. The Gaels weren’t able to get the win, losing 83-76.
The Gaels had a tough start, going down 34-39 by halftime. Lamin Sabally was a big contribution and played a major factor in keeping the Gaels close throughout most of the game. But it was not enough to beat the Mountaineers. They dominated the whole second half, putting up 44 points. They also shot 50% from the field, while Iona only shot 44%. Mount St. Mary’s was more productive and had more efficient drives, keeping better control and playmaking ability.
Iona still has six more games to turn things around. With Merrimack already clinching a spot in the MAAC Championship tournament, the rest of the tournament will start to fill up. Iona will start that final stretch on the road on Canisius on Feb. 13, followed by a game against Niagara on Feb. 15.
