The Iona College Men’s Basketball team moved on to the championship game of the College Insider Tournament after defeating East Tennessee State 83-80 on March 26 in Johnson City, Tenn.

Junior Mike Glover dominated, leading the team with 33 points and 10 rebounds. Continuing his impressive freshman season, now starter Sean Armand scored 20 points with six three point field goals. Armand broke the single season rookie record for most three pointers.

Junior Scott Machado was impressive leading the team with 11 assists, while also contributing eight points and seven rebounds.

Head Coach Tim Cluess was impressed about how well the team played together, “The key to our victory was a total team effort. Every player brought something to the table.”

The Gaels shot the lights out against East Tennessee State, by shooting 52 percent from the field, with an impressive 42 percent from three point territory.  

The game was filled with momentum swings, as the Gaels started the game on a 14-0 scoring run. With a 16-2 lead, ETSU scored 13 straight points of their own.

Iona was down 41-35 at the half. The Gaels picked it up in the second half and outscored their opponent 48-39 to improve their season record to 25-11.

 The Gaels won 12 out of their last 13 games and will now take on the Santa Clara Broncos on March 30 at the Hynes Athletic Center.

Coach Cluess believes that it will be a tough game for the Gaels, “First we need good student support in order to be successful. The students are our great 6th man and inspire our team to be better. Santa Clara has a great backcourt and some very tough inside players. The game will be a battle.”

 Iona is just one of a handful of teams that are still playing in the nation. Their impressive performance is leading them to play in late March for the first time since 2006.

Coach Cluess appreciates his team’s efforts, “It is exciting to be playing this late in March. It is terrific for our school and supporters.”

The Gaels have already put together an amazing season and despite the loss in the MAAC championship they should still be proud. The CIT has been a great growing experience for the team as they look to build for to an even greater 2011-12 season.

 The extra time in March will give the team time to grow and get better adjusted to tournament play. They are also getting a chance to refine their skills against teams around the country.