BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Nakiea Miller matched a career high with 24 points to
lead Iona to its second straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
championship with a 74-67 victory over Canisius on Monday night.
Earl Johnson added 20 points and Miller pulled down 15 rebounds as the
top-seeded Gaels (22-10) got their third NCAA Tournament berth in four years.
Miller, held scoreless for the first 11 minutes of the second half, took
charge in the paint with Iona trailing 54-51.
After cutting the lead to one with a layup, Miller tipped in consecutive
misses. He eventually scored nine points to spark a 13-1 run as the Gaels
opened a 64-55 lead.
Miller also dominated in the defensive end during that stretch, twice
blocking Canisius' Darren Fenn from within 8 feet of the basket.
Afterward, an exhausted Miller almost collapsed from dizziness, and had to
be given smelling salts during the celebration.
The Golden Griffins (20-11), attempting to be the first team to win four
games to win the championship, went almost seven minutes before scoring a field
goal.
Brian Dux finally ended the drought with a putback, cutting Iona's lead to
64-57 with 2:28 remaining.
The Golden Griffins cut the lead to 71-67 when Clive Bentick completed a
three-point play with 19.9 seconds, but Johnson responded by sinking two free
throws.
The Gaels became the first team to repeat as MAAC champions since LaSalle
won three straight from 1988-90. Iona also won its conference-leading sixth
title in the school's ninth title championship game appearance.
The Gaels also became only the third No. 1 seed to win the title since 1991.
Canisius was attempting to become only the third school seeded seventh or
lower to win the title. The Golden Griffins also reached the title game the
hard way, beating second-seed Niagara and third-seed Siena, who finished in a
three-way tie for first with Iona in the regular-season standings.
Iona shot 11-for-22 in the first half, but trailed 33-32 at the break
because they committed 14 turnovers which led to 16 points for the Golden
Griffins.
Bentick led Canisius with 14 points.
Fenn finished with 10 rebounds, giving him 48 in four games, eclipsing a
tournament record shared by LaSalle's Lionel Simmons and Fordham's Sanford
Jenkins, who each had 38 in the 1990 tournament.
Fenn tied the record with his 15-rebound performance in Sunday's 76-64
semifinal win over Siena.
AP NEWS
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