The Iona College men’s basketball team (13-8, 6-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) defeated conference rival Manhattan College 78-65 at the Nassau Coliseum on Saturday evening.

Junior guard Schadrac Casimir, who led the Gaels with 20 points, was one of six players in double figures. Junior Rickey McGill tallied 11 points and four assists, while dealing with foul trouble. Transfer Roland Griffin scored 12 points, while seniors TK Edogi, Zach Lewis and Deyshonee Much each chipped in 10 points.

Manhattan senior Zane Waterman posted a double-double, 18 points and 12 rebounds. Senior point guard Zavier Turner scored 18 points and went 3-5 from the three point line. Sophomore Aaron Walker Jr. added 12 points and four boards off the bench.

Takeaways

-Heading into the game, Casimir was the Gaels’ top scorer against Manhattan as he averaged 15.8 points in five matchups against the Jaspers. Casimir continued that trend, registering 20 points (12 points in the second half). When McGill had to spend most of the second half on the bench due to foul trouble, Casimir stepped up and carried the Gaels to victory.

-Iona didn’t do a good job rebounding the ball as Manhattan out rebounded the Gaels 39-27. The Jaspers made the game closer than it had to be just because of their effort on the glass especially on the offensive end. Manhattan tallied 17 offensive rebounds, which led to 19 second chance points.

– It was a solid defensive effort for the Gaels. Iona managed to record nine steals and force Manhattan to commit 13 turnovers. Lewis had a team-high four steals, while McGill and Much each had two. Edogi did a solid job protecting the rim as he tallied three blocks.

– Iona’s ball movement played a huge role in the win. The Gaels’ ball movement led to open three-point looks for Casimir and points in the paint. Iona outscored Manhattan 36-26 in the paint.

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