The Iona College men’s basketball team overcame a double-digit deficit at halftime to beat Fairleigh Dickinson 82-75 on Saturday afternoon.

Graduate guard Jan Svandrlik had a career performance, scoring 27 points and converting six three-pointers off the bench. Junior point guard Schadrac Casimir also provided a spark off the bench as he tallied 21 points.

Junior point guard Rickey McGill flirted with a triple-double, recording 11 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.

Iona struggled offensively in the first half, which led to Fairleigh Dickinson taking a 42-31 lead at halftime.

Iona responded back in the middle of the second half with a 19-3, which was anchored by Svandrlik and Casimir.

The Knights were led by freshman forward Noah Morgan, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Northeast Conference Preseason Player of the Year Darian Anderson registered 11 points, six rebounds and six assists before fouling out.

Here are my takeaways from Iona’s third victory of the 2017-18 season.

Takeaways

– Iona struggled offensively in the first half as the Gaels shot 25 percent from the floor. The Gaels offensives woes were a combination of a solid defensive effort by Fairleigh Dickinson and shot just not falling in. Iona’s issues on offense allowed Fairleigh Dickinson to gain some momentum and take a double-digit lead into halftime.

– When Iona was having a hard time getting going from its starters, Svandrlik and Casimir came off the bench to carry the offense. Svandrlik noticed the Knights leaving him wide open in the corner and he made them pay. Besides scoring, Svandrlik showed his ability to make hustle plays and rebound the ball. Casimir looking more confident on the floor as he was knocking down shots, driving to the basket and generating contact.

– Once again, the Gaels have shown they haven’t recovered from losing Jordan Washington and Taylor Bessick. Iona was outplayed in the paint for the third time in the last four games. Fairleigh Dickinson tallied 38 points in the paint compared to Iona’s 20. Graduate transfer TK Edogi is meant to fill that void and he has shown his potential to do so especially on Saturday. Edogi tallied 12 points and eight rebounds. However, Iona will need junior Tyrell Williams and freshman Gavin Kensmil to step up.

– Fairleigh Dickinson’s foul trouble was one of the reasons Iona was able to hang around. The Knights got themselves into foul trouble early in the first and second half, which allowed Iona to generate points from the free throw line. Fairleigh Dickinson had four players foul out, while Morgan was playing with four fouls down the stretch.

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