Ninth seed Iona beats Niagara 70-64 in MAAC semifinal
AP
Mar 12, 2021
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) Asante Gist scored 19 points with five assists and Iona Gaels defeated Niagara Purple Eagles 70-64 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals on Friday.
Dylan van Eyck added 14 points for Iona (11-5), which has won five in a row, including three in the post season. Nelly Junior Joseph added 13 points and nine rebounds. Isaiah Ross, the MAAC's leading scorer, was held to four points on 1 of 9 shooting and had eight of Iona's 16 turnovers.
Niagara twice cut a 20-point, second-half Iona lead down to three, the last time when Raheem Solomon scored and converted a three-pointe play making the score 67-64 with 15 seconds left.
Ryan Myers and Joseph made three of four free throws for the final score. Niagara outscored Iona 39-27 in the second half, whittling away the Gaels 43-25 halftime lead.
Solomon scored a season-high 21 points and had eight rebounds for the Purple Eagles (9-11). Kobi Nwandu added 16 points. Marcus Hammond had 11 points.
Iona will meet the winner of seventh-seeded Fairfield against No. 3 seed Saint Peter's in Saturday's championship game.
Coach Rick Pitino's team could become the first No. 9 seed to win a MAAC Tournament. The Gaels were idled 51 days because of COVID-19 issues, from Dec. 24 to Feb. 11. It was the longest pause this season in Division I.
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1st Half
IONA
Gaels
43
NIAG
Purple Eagles
25
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Nelly Junior Joseph vs. Greg Kuakumensah (Gaels gains possession)
19:50
Nelly Junior Joseph turnover (traveling)
19:19
+3
Kobi Nwandu makes three point jump shot (Justin Roberts assists)
0-3
18:57
Asante Gist turnover (bad pass)
18:45
Asante Gist shooting foul (Marcus Hammond draws the foul)
18:45
+1
Marcus Hammond makes regular free throw 1 of 3
0-4
18:45
+1
Marcus Hammond makes regular free throw 2 of 3
0-5
18:45
+1
Marcus Hammond makes regular free throw 3 of 3
0-6
18:26
+2
Nelly Junior Joseph makes two point turnaround hook shot
2-6
18:11
Nicholas Kratholm offensive foul (Nelly Junior Joseph draws the foul)
18:11
Nicholas Kratholm turnover
17:56
+2
Nelly Junior Joseph makes two point layup
4-6
17:39
Marcus Hammond misses three point jump shot
17:37
Nelly Junior Joseph defensive rebound
17:22
Nelly Junior Joseph misses two point layup
17:20
Dwayne Koroma offensive rebound
17:19
+2
Dwayne Koroma makes two point putback layup
6-6
17:01
Greg Kuakumensah turnover (lost ball)
16:49
+3
Asante Gist makes three point jump shot (Isaiah Ross assists)
9-6
16:34
Nelly Junior Joseph shooting foul (Greg Kuakumensah draws the foul)
16:34
Greg Kuakumensah misses regular free throw 1 of 2
16:34
Greg Kuakumensah misses regular free throw 2 of 2
16:34
Kobi Nwandu offensive rebound
16:29
Marcus Hammond misses three point jump shot
16:27
Nelly Junior Joseph defensive rebound
16:09
Isaiah Ross misses three point jump shot
16:07
Marcus Hammond defensive rebound
15:57
Jordan Cintron misses two point layup
15:55
Isaiah Ross defensive rebound
15:45
+2
Asante Gist makes two point jump shot
11-6
15:11
Kobi Nwandu misses two point driving layup
15:09
Greg Kuakumensah offensive rebound
15:03
Shandon Brown misses two point jump shot
15:01
Dwayne Koroma defensive rebound
14:53
Asante Gist misses three point jump shot
14:51
Jordan Cintron defensive rebound
14:42
+2
Greg Kuakumensah makes two point layup (Shandon Brown assists)
11-8
14:18
Isaiah Ross misses two point jump shot
14:16
Greg Kuakumensah defensive rebound
13:56
Kobi Nwandu misses two point jump shot
13:54
Asante Gist defensive rebound
13:52
Shandon Brown personal foul (Asante Gist draws the foul)
13:52
TV timeout
13:27
Isaiah Ross turnover (traveling)
13:07
Jordan Cintron misses two point layup
13:05
Dylan van Eyck defensive rebound
12:47
+2
Dylan van Eyck makes two point layup (Nelly Junior Joseph assists)
13-8
12:25
+2
Raheem Solomon makes two point pullup jump shot
13-10
12:12
+2
Berrick JeanLouis makes two point driving layup
15-10
11:49
Kobi Nwandu misses two point step back jump shot
11:47
Nelly Junior Joseph defensive rebound
11:29
+2
Nelly Junior Joseph makes two point jump shot (Isaiah Ross assists)
17-10
11:17
Shandon Brown turnover (bad pass) (Nelly Junior Joseph steals)
11:13
+2
Berrick JeanLouis makes two point dunk (Asante Gist assists)
19-10
11:02
Purple Eagles 30 second timeout
11:02
TV timeout
10:43
Kobi Nwandu misses three point jump shot
10:41
Raheem Solomon offensive rebound
10:32
+3
Raheem Solomon makes three point jump shot
19-13
10:06
Jordan Cintron shooting foul (Ryan Myers draws the foul)
10:06
Ryan Myers misses regular free throw 1 of 2
10:06
+1
Ryan Myers makes regular free throw 2 of 2
20-13
9:44
Nick MacDonald misses three point jump shot
9:42
Ryan Myers defensive rebound
9:42
Touba Traore personal foul (Ryan Myers draws the foul)
9:27
+2
Berrick JeanLouis makes two point driving layup (Osborn Shema assists)
22-13
9:05
+2
Touba Traore makes two point layup (Justin Roberts assists)
22-15
9:05
Berrick JeanLouis shooting foul (Touba Traore draws the foul)
9:05
+1
Touba Traore makes regular free throw 1 of 1
22-16
8:38
Berrick JeanLouis misses three point jump shot
8:36
Raheem Solomon defensive rebound
8:31
Nick MacDonald turnover (out of bounds)
8:16
+3
Dylan van Eyck makes three point jump shot (Asante Gist assists)
25-16
8:01
Marcus Hammond misses two point driving layup
7:59
Touba Traore offensive rebound
7:58
+2
Touba Traore makes two point tip shot
25-18
7:43
+3
Ryan Myers makes three point jump shot (Asante Gist assists)
28-18
7:29
Justin Roberts misses three point jump shot
7:27
Nick MacDonald offensive rebound
7:17
Raheem Solomon misses three point jump shot
7:15
Osborn Shema defensive rebound
7:09
Isaiah Ross turnover (bad pass)
7:09
TV timeout
6:50
Justin Roberts misses three point jump shot
6:48
Isaiah Ross defensive rebound
6:33
Isaiah Ross misses three point jump shot
6:31
Dylan van Eyck offensive rebound
6:21
+3
Berrick JeanLouis makes three point jump shot (Asante Gist assists)
31-18
6:03
Nick MacDonald misses three point jump shot
6:01
Dylan van Eyck defensive rebound
5:53
Touba Traore personal foul (Nelly Junior Joseph draws the foul)
5:32
+3
Dylan van Eyck makes three point jump shot (Asante Gist assists)
34-18
5:12
Greg Kuakumensah offensive foul (Isaiah Ross draws the foul)
5:12
Greg Kuakumensah turnover
4:57
Nelly Junior Joseph misses two point layup
4:55
Nelly Junior Joseph offensive rebound
4:54
Nelly Junior Joseph misses two point putback layup
4:52
Kobi Nwandu defensive rebound
4:38
+2
Nicholas Kratholm makes two point hook shot (Greg Kuakumensah assists)
34-20
4:20
+3
Asante Gist makes three point jump shot (Berrick JeanLouis assists)
37-20
3:54
Dylan van Eyck personal foul (Kobi Nwandu draws the foul)
3:54
TV timeout
3:52
+2
Kobi Nwandu makes two point layup (Marcus Hammond assists)
