MAAC Conference Basketball

Iona basketball coach Tim Cluess waited a long time for a shot at coaching in Division One, coaching 14 seasons high school at St. Mary's in Manhasset Long Island, and then five years at Suffolk Community College and C.W.Post.  He won 775 of his games over that nearly 20-year stretch.

Last year, his Iona Gaels were 25-12 and reached the finals of both the post season Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament and the CollegeInsider.com event.

This year the Gaels have already won 20 games and have their sights set on winning the MAAC Tournament which starts in barely two weeks in Springfield, Mass., and the coveted NCAA Tournament bid which goes with that title.

Coach Cluess has a talented core of two seniors, power forward Mike Glover averaging 19 points per game and point guard Scott Machado coming off a "Triple double" performance Sunday night against Marist while continuing to lead the entire NCAA  in assists per game, currently just a shade under 10 per outing.

Joining this extraordinary pair is Lamont "Momo" Jones who was the point guard on last year's Elite Eight team but transferred close to home at Iona to be near his ailing grandmother and was granted an NCAA waiver to play right away.

Joining this big three has been a strong supporting cast of sharp shooting swing players Sean Armand and Kyle Smyth, big man Taaj Ridley, Mr. Consistent Randy Dezouvre who made the game-winning shot at Denver in December and Jermel Jenkins, a senior guard who can shoot the 3.

On Jan. 30, Iona announced that coach Cluess' contract has been extended through 2017 so he should be coaching the Gaels for years to come.

My colleague and morning host on WVOX Radio in New Rochelle, Bob Marrone and I talked with Tim Cluess about his perspective on coaching and the potential of this year's Iona team.

 Q,  Coach Cluess are you surprised at how well this team has responded this season?

A.  I am real excited about how quickly our guys have bought in and how hard they worked.  Really proud of the success they have had.  I always believe success is a reflection of how hard you have worked, so not entirely surprised.

Q.  How far do you believe this Iona team can go?

A.  We can go as far as our guards shoot the ball, so when we are having a good shooting night as a team, and Mike Glover on the inside is holding fort, we can beat anyone in the country, when we are not, we can lose to anyone in the country, so it is an interesting balance that we have.  

Q. You mentioned Mike Glover, he has been a very consistent player this year?

A. "Mike has been great because in all fairness last year we had Alejo Rodriquez playing alongside so Mike had help.  This year we have two guys (Taaj Ridley and Randy Dezouvre) a bit undersized playing in that spot alongside him.  Mike is really our big guy and he is only about 6-6 but you would think he is 6-9 because of how hard he plays and how hard he works."

I really think he has turned up his game up an notch in his last several games. He has been working hard at getting more shot attempts, his rebounding has been up, his scoring has been up.  I think he is turning up his game at the right time for us.

 Q. How important is a system versus depending on pure talent.

 A. Well I think it really has to be a balance, the talent is going to have be great if you have a system you are not comfortable with.  Coaches are creatures of habit, so if they are coaching outside their comfort zone. it is hard for them to believe what is going on out on the court.  If the players can read that, so if the players see the coaches don't believe in it, they are not going to believe in it. 

Coaches need to get players that fit their system the tweak your talent but not have to completely change it, then it becomes difficult to have success.

Q.  Scott Machado had a "Triple-Double" performance Sunday night, can you tell us about his play this season?

A.  I'm really happy that Scott got his triple double, he has worked hard all year, and has come close on several occasions this year on assists and rebounds, but not necessarily on points on those occasions.   It has only happen once before in Iona history prior, and that was a long time ago, so it was great to see him accomplish that.

Q.  "Momo" Jones had 43 points against Canisius, how has he been able to improve his game?

A.   "Momo" Jones is an explosive scorer who is still feeling his way, but has been coming on strong the last 8-10 games, where he is getting more comfortable at his role.  At Arizona he was the point guard, he transferred over to us and we play him at the off guard which was an adjustment for him.  His talent level is at a very high level.  His leadership has been great.  Being a newcomer and still being a leader has been a great addition to our team.

Q. You have had your guards working on rebounding?

A.  We had a loss prior, at Loyola, were we really got killed off the boards, so we have asked our guards to do a better job rebounding the ball for us and they did in the game versus Marist.

Q.  You have had great performances from Kyle Smyth and Sean Armand at the small forward position, can you tell us about them?

A.  Kyle Smyth and Sean Armand, those two guys have been great weapons for us shooting the ball.  When we get one or more of them shooting ball, that really gives us another option out on the court and makes us tough to guard.

Kyle Smyth defensively is a scrappy kid that anyone would like to coach.  He gets on all the loose balls and does all the little things.

Q.  At the four position how has Taaj Ridley been developing?

A.   Taaj Ridley is a new forward who is starting for us this year, who is really a wing player, that we have had to move to the forward spot because of overall lack of size.  Again it is an adjustment for him, he is not used to playing with his back to the basket or guarding a post player, so he is trying to learn that and he has done a great job putting in extra time.  I have seen progression in that area over the second half of the season.

Q.  How has Randy Dezouvre added spark at the four position, he had the game winning shot at Denver?

A.  Randy Dezouvre is a local Monroe College junior college player who is in his second year with us.  Randy is starting to bring energy and leadership to the court.  He is an undersized 3/4 player but plays with more energy then the rest of the team most of the time and gives us a shot of adrenaline.

Ken Kraetzer covers Iona basketball and West Point football for WVOX 1460 AM in New Rochelle, NY, heard nationally on WVOX.com.  Bob Marrone is the morning drive time host on WVOX.    Ken's Twitter address in @SAL50NYRadio

Scott Machado gets Iona (20-6) back on track with their 20th win of the year partly due to his triple-double to lead the Iona Gaels to a 83-74 win over Marist (9-16) on their home court in New Rochelle Sunday night. 

The win coupled with Loyola's 68-51 loss to Fairfield Sunday afternoon puts the Gaels back in a first place tie in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament.

Machado recorded 11 rebounds, 10 points and 10 assists for Iona's first triple-double since Nakiea Miller on March 5, 200 against Fairfield in the MAAC tournament. Afterwards the Iona senior from Queens, NY who has lead the entire NCAA Division One in assists per game all year said,

"It feels amazing, it is an accomplishment that I always wanted to get.  I am just thankful I was able to get it tonight, and I was able to get it before my career was over here, so just thankful and blessed."

The Gaels were coming off a disappointing loss Friday night in Baltimore at Loyola, In which they were forced to make a strong second half comeback to lose by only 87-81. 

Mike Glover had a huge night himself Sunday with 25 points with 11-19 shooting and ten rebounds. He commented afterwards,

"We just wanted to bounce back from Friday's loss at Loyola.  We did a pretty good job defensively in the second half, I am just proud of our guy's effort tonight."

 Lamont "Momo" Jones had had a hot shooting hand with 23 points making five of six on threes.

The 7 PM Sunday start was unusual, but gave the Gaels a bit more rest and time to regroup after returning from the loss in Baltimore Friday night.

Iona coach Tim Cluess put Sean Armand, who scored 25 Friday night at Loyola along with Taaj Ridley, back in the starting lineup. Both responded early with Ridley hitting two shots and Armand landing a three.

Iona is hot tonight running out to a 23-9 lead on a couple of three-point shots by Sean Armand, and the inside play of Mike Glover. Marist has a big center 6' 10" sophomore Adam Kemp who is trying to guard Glover with forward Jay Bowie cheating over to try to double cover. But Glover has great hands and seldom misses his inside shots, hitting over 65% from the floor.

Marist got back in the game 30-2 with a 12-0 run punctuated by a fast break drive by Manny Thomas drawing a foul on Machado followed by a Devin Price three-pointer. 

Marist pulls ahead in the second half 46-44 on a Chavaughn Lewis jumper. What a difference in coach Chuck Martin's team from the one Iona defeated 100-76 in January in Poughkeepsie.

With Marist taking a 54-51 lead, the Gaels start to go back inside with a Momo pull up jumper followed by a Scott Machado to pass play to Randy Dezouvre for a layup. Dezouvre the senior forward who has competed with Taaj Ridley for playing, is another Gael with good hands, making up on quickness with a dependable inside game. 

Mike Glover continues to be an inside force for the Gaels.  After Momo Jones misses a spinning pull up jumper between two defenders, Glover grabs the rebound and putts it back to give the Gaels a 64-57 lead.

Kyle Smyth and Sean Armand then hit threes to give Iona a 79-69 lead as Iona pulled away in the final minutes.

If there was a doubt in this game, Scott Machado took over with an inside drive to basket to give Iona an 81-69 lead with 2:32 left.

Iona Coach Tim Cluess said afterwards,

"I did not know how much they had in the tank, that was a very late and emotional game (Friday night), we got back really late and we had practiced yesterday. Parts of the game we played well in parts it looked like we did not have much left in us, but down the end, our guys gutted it out, and had a nice victory against a team that played with a lot of energy and and a lot of heart."

When asked about a new zone the Gaels played in which he drops back in the zone, if that helped him reach double digits in rebounds, Machado said,

"We just started that zone, since it was so new, of the people who start, I am the one who knows that spot, that's all really."

About the loss by Loyola in the afternoon that gave Iona a chance to play for first place, Lamont "Momo" Jones said,

"It was a relief to me, and a relief to our team. We just have to come out and play our game. Whether or not they won or lost, we had to come out and get this win. Fortunately they lost, so its puts us in a better position. We just have to come out and play every night".

The Gaels now prepare to play at Rider Wednesday night before taking on University of Nevada at home in the "Sears Bracketbuster" game on Saturday at 4PM.

 Ken Kraetzer covers Iona basketball and West Point football for WVOX 1460 AM and Sons of the American Legion Radio. 

His Twitter address is @SAL50NYRADIO

For the first time in six seasons, Manhattan basketball has once again become relevant. With first-year head coach Steve Masiello leading the way, the Jaspers were 17-7, 10-2 in the MAAC entering Saturday night's rivalry matchup with Iona.

Draddy Gymnasium was rocking all night long, but the Jaspers could not upset the Gaels for a second time this season, ultimately falling 85-73.

Manhattan and Iona battled back and forth in the first half, with the lead changing hands 10 times over the first 20 minutes. Both teams were fired up and came out hot to start the game.

And just in case we weren't sure whether or not the Manhattan-Iona rivalry was revived, Taaj Ridley's technical foul two minutes into the game proved that it was. After Ridley's two-handed slam opened up an 8-5 lead for Iona, the junior got in the face of Manhattan's Roberto Colonette and began the trash-talking that would last all night.

The two squads would exchange baskets for most of the first half, and then the Gaels managed to open up a 44-38 halftime lead on Momo Jones' jumper in the final two minutes.

George Beamon was the main reason Manhattan was even close through 20 minutes with 19 points, including his 1,000th point, on 7-of-8 shooting.

In the second half, Iona quickly built up a 51-38 lead on a three-pointer from Jones, a jumper from Sean Armand and a layup from the MAAC's leading scorer Mike Glover, prompting Masiello to call for a timeout.

The Jaspers made one last run out of the timeout with a layup from Donovan Kates and then three-pointers from Liam McCabe-Moran and Kidani Brutus, cutting the deficit to five points. But Manhattan would never get any closer.

Iona bumped its lead up to as many as 19 points on three free throws from Armand, and Manhattan's chances for another upset dissipated.

Disgruntled Manhattan fans exited Draddy Gymnasium with their Jaspers now standing at No. 3 in the MAAC.

Beamon led all scorers with 26 points. Iona's defense stepped up big time in the second half, keeping the ball out of the hands of the MAAC's second-best scorer as much as possible. The junior shot just 1-of-7 from the field in the second half.

Brutus was the only other Jasper to score in double figures with 12 points on four three-pointers. The co-captain also had three assists.

Despite being hindered by foul trouble, sophomore Rhamel Brown had eight points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. Additionally, freshman Emmy Andujar, who hit the game-winning basket at Iona last month, had a solid performance with seven points, five rebounds and six assists.

Glover led the Gaels with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Jones and Scott Machado each scored 18 points. Armand led Iona's bench with 14 points.

For the first time in a while, Iona truly looked like the top dog in the MAAC. The Jaspers managed to keep up with Iona in the first half, but the Gaels showed their poise by warding off a pair of second runs by the hyped-up home team.

Iona is back to controlling its own destiny for a MAAC championship, and it still has an outside shot at an at-large bid if it cannot win three games in three days at the MAAC tournament.

Manhattan will start a three-game road trip at fourth-place Fairfield on Thursday, while Iona finishes up its two-game road trip in Baltimore against Loyola (MD), where the Gaels can take complete control of first place in the MAAC for the first time since mid-January.

If Saturday's game is anything like the first matchup of the year between Iona and Manhattan, everyone in attendance will be in for a treat. When the two battled in New Rochelle on January 12, the Jaspers battled back from down 17 points to win on a buzzer beater three-pointer by freshman Emmy Andujar, capping off a 27-7 run over the final 7:42.

At that stage of the season, Manhattan appeared to be a sleeper to keep up with Iona, Fairfield and Loyola (MD) for a MAAC championship, but very few thought the Jaspers would enter the first weekend in February locked with the Gaels and the Greyhounds for first place in the MAAC at 10-2.

Throughout the 2011-12 season, Manhattan (17-7, 10-2 MAAC) has been the surprise team in the MAAC. In fact, the Jaspers have the best turnaround from last season in all of Division-I basketball, already increasing their win total from six to 17.

Iona (18-5, 10-2) is the most talented team in the MAAC—there is not much dispute about that. However, the Gaels have had trouble holding on to large leads in conference play. Both of their MAAC losses came after holding double-digit leads in the second half, and they nearly blew a 19-point lead at Fairfield last week.

The intensity and stakes will be high tonight, and here is what each team will need to do in order to enter next week with at least a share of first place in the MAAC.

Keys for Iona

Control the inside

Manhattan and Iona have two of the better frontcourts in the MAAC this year. The Jaspers have a pair of solid but inconsistent forwards in Rhamel Brown and Roberto Colonette, but the Gaels have Michael Glover, who leads the MAAC in scoring, and up-and-coming forwards Taaj Ridley and Randy Dezouvre.

In the first meeting, Manhattan controlled the inside, outscoring the Gaels 30-18 in the paint and outrebounding them 36-34. Most of the Jaspers' points during their comeback came from the inside.

If Iona lets Manhattan dictate what happens in the paint and on the boards, it could end up being a long night for the Gaels.

Play for 40 minutes

This is an obvious one. While Iona always seems to build big leads early on, it has continuously had trouble holding on. The losses to Manhattan and Siena were a clear example of this, and the near-loss to Fairfield, despite showing some improvement in this area, also made Iona fans question whether or not their team had the killer instinct that a team needs in order to dominate.

The Gaels should not let up at any point during this game, or any other game this year for that matter. When you give the Sienas and Manhattans of the nation a second chance, it could come back to haunt you.

Keys for Manhattan

Get offense out of Rhamel Brown

Despite outstanding games from a number of players back on January 12, Brown was ultimately the key to Manhattan's comeback. The sophomore forward posted a double-double off the bench with 17 points and 11 rebounds. During the final 10 minutes, he had 10 points, four rebounds and two blocks.

Manhattan can always expect defense from Brown, who leads the MAAC in blocked shots. However, when the Jaspers get offensive output out of him, the offense really starts to jell.

Decrease number of turnovers

Manhattan's weakest area this season has clearly been turnovers. The Jaspers turn the ball over 16 times per game.

In order to sweep the most talented team in the MAAC, the Jaspers will need to play as close to perfect as possible.

Iona forces some turnovers off its pressure defense, but that is not where the problem lies for Manhattan. The Jaspers cannot afford to have any unforced turnovers. Every possession in this game will be valuable, and they will struggle if they throw away any of them.

Stats you should know:

- George Beamon has 986 career points entering Saturday night. The junior has scored in double digits in 38 consecutive games.

- Brown moved to No. 3 on Manhattan's career blocks list with three against Marist on Thursday.

- Lamont Jones posted a career-high 43 points against Canisius this week.

- Scott Machado leads the nation in assists with 10.0 per game. He is currently No. 3 in MAAC history in career assists with 784.

- Iona leads the all-time series 42-36.

Iona Stats

Leading scorer: Michael Glover, 18.5 ppg

Leading rebounder: Michael Glover, 9.1 rpg

Leader in assists: Scott Machado, 10.0 apg

Best three-point shooter: Sean Armand, 46.2 percent (48-of-104)

Manhattan Stats

Leading scorer: George Beamon, 17.4 ppg

Leading rebounder: George Beamon, 5.5 rpg

Leader in assists: Michael Alvarado, 3.4 apg

Best three-point shooter: George Beamon, 39.6 percent (40-of-101)

My pick

It's tough to root against the home team, but the odds favor Iona in this one. Although Manhattan plays well in front of a large home crowd, the chances of the less talented Jaspers sweeping the Gaels is a little too far-fetched. Still, expect a close game, one that could once again come down the final shot.

Iona 77, Manhattan 73

Follow Jesse Kramer on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer for more college basketball news and information.

Lamont "Momo" Jones put on a show in New Rochelle Thursday night, scoring 43 points in Iona's 105-86 win over Canisus that will be remembered for about as long as Gael basketball will be followed. 

Jones was the point guard on the University of Arizona team that went to the NCAA Elite last spring.  He  transferred to Iona to be closer to his ailing grandmother and was granted an exemption from the NCAA so he didn't have to sit out a year as a transfer.

On the season, Jones was shooting 45 percent from the field and 34 percent on three point shots.  Against Canisius, he shot 70 percent from the field on 16-23 and 58 percent on threes, making seven of twelve.  Momo added four of five from the line.

Jones' 43 points was a record for the thirty-plus-year-old Hynes Center.  Sean Green had scored 43 in a MAAC game versus Siena in 1991.  Warren Issac scored an even 50 points versus in 1964. 

The Gaels needed a big performance from their backcourt as the game was tied 69 all with 13:44 left to play.  Iona went on a ten-point run started by a tip-in basket by Jones, followed by a three.  The game was decided by the end of the 28-11 run, capped by a Jermel Jenkins three that gave the Gaels a 17-point lead at 97-80 with 4:47 left. 

Point guard Scott Machado had  fourteen points and 14 assists, which increases his lead as the top player in Division I in assists-per-game average.  Until late in the game, Machado had but one turnover, finishing the night with two and an amazing 7-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Power forward Mike Glover was getting bounced around in the paint, but he came up with 12 points and 11 rebounds.  Iona outrebounded Canisius 35-31.

Th platoon at small forward was productive with Kyle Smyth having seven points and three assists while Sean Armand contributed eight points, including a pair of threes.

At the 4 spot, Randy Dezouvre started and had four rebounds in ten minutes.  Taaj Ridley played 22 minutes, contributing muscle under the boards by grabbing two rebounds and nailing six points on three-for-three shooting. 

Senior Jermel Jenkins filled in at both guard positions for 14 minutes and went two-for-two on his three-point shots.  

The win kept Iona (18-5) in a first-place tie with Manhattan (17-7) at 10-2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference going into their big matchup Saturday night at the Draddy Gym in Riverdale.  The Jaspers defeated Marist Thursday night 73-51.  

For Canisius (4-18), now 1-11 in MAAC play, it was another tough fight but losing road effort.  Gaby Gelardo came off the bench to score 27 points for the Griffs, and Alshwan Hymes had 23 points.

After the game, I had a chance to speak with Iona head coach Tim Cluess, Scott Machado and the star of the evening, Lamont "Momo" Jones:  

I asked Scott Machado (SM), who had a great performance in his own right, why he and Jones played so well in this game.

SM:  "He [Jones] was hot and I was just looking for him.  He had 20 points in the first half and he had the same group coming out in the second, so I was just looking for him."

Q:  What made the difference in the second half?

SM:  "Defense."

Q:  Why were you so effective with the full-court pressure and combination of zone and man-to-man defenses?

SM:  "We were pressing them and they kept sending Belardo with the big man in the middle of the court.  Coach kept throwing different defenses at them, so we could mix it up, so we finally found out how we could get a stop in.  We found out how to get stops in, we kept continuing with that, once we got that stop, we kept on getting stops."

Q to Momo Jones (MJ):  How did you feel about your record breaking performance?

MJ:  "Felt like Superman, felt like Superman.  There are no other words to describe that.  It is a feeling that is indescribable.

"I worked hard all week with my coaching staff, just in the gym shooting, shooting, shooting, shooting, getting in the reps. 

"One of my good friends came from Queens.  Made sure I was in the gym 24 hours a day.  Six o'clock in the morning, if I had 30 minutes before class, he came in and rebounded for me.  It was a real grind, there was no sleep, no getting tired, just got to work, if you love this game, and the next level is where you want to go, you have to work. 

"I think that really helped me.  I just got in the gym and worked, and it really paid off tonight."

Q:  Did the falls to the court from driving the lane affect you?

MJ:  "A little bump or bruise, or a little knee or fall to the ground, it is part of basketball.  You got to get up and continue the forty minutes.  This was a team effort, I could not have done this without my team."

Q:  How were you and Scott Machado so effective in the backcourt tonight?

MJ:  "Scott Machado is a wonderful, wonderful point guard to have, wouldn't want to play with anyone else.  The best point guard I have ever played with in my life.  Night in and night out he finds me.  Tonight I was knocking down shots and it was a great game collectively.

"Any one of us could have had this game tonight.  Scott could have had this game.  Scott had a 30 and 15 earlier this year, Glove [Mike Glover] could come out and have a game like this.  We have three guys who can put up high numbers.  Not a lot of teams could have that. 

"Then you have guys who come off the bench. Sean Armand who is a sharp shooter, [Kyle] Smyth is a sharpshooter.  On any given night anybody can have this night.  My teammates just allowed it to be me tonight."

Q to Coach Tim Cluess (TC):  What was it like to watch Momo Jones get 43 points on the night?

TC.  "I was thinking we needed every point of them because we were not getting many stops, and the other team was on fire.  I'm glad he did that tonight.  It was not a coincidence to me.  He has really worked hard the last few days.  We remind him, every time he works hard, he has a good game."

Q:  What did you think of Scott Machado's play?

TC:  "Scott did a great job as always finding people on the floor and getting everyone involved picking his own spots as well, a terrific team leader."

Q:  Why was Canisius able to give you so many challenges?

TC:  "They made the extra pass and nailed the shot every time.  They spaced out and rotated to beat Iona's double team."

Q:  Why did Iona do well on the night?

TC:  "I think tonight was a good game for us because Momo played so well, because we shot the ball well as a team.  When we shoot well we can put up points.  When we struggle it is because we cannot put the ball in the basket."

Q to "Momo" Jones:  How did you feel about your performance and that of the team?

MJ:  "Tonight we needed to grow up as a team, collectively.  I think tonight we took a step towards that.  We didn't have the greatest first half, but we came out in the second half and played defense, and we played solid, and we played as a team.

"We came out with a win we could have lost if the chips fall in a different way or we won just by two points. But tonight we came out and we kept knocking on the door, knocking on the door.  Finally the door knocked down and we opened up the game."

Q:  Are you concerned about Iona's overall defensive play?

MJ:  "We gave up way too many points.  In the second half we should have had more stops than we did.  Point blank end of story.  We didn't play the defense Iona is capable of playing.  We won the game but we are not happy.  We go back to the lab and work on things and we need to get better, tonight was just a step towards that."

Another reporter asked Momo what his thoughts were when he was taken out of the game in the final moments:

MJ:  "About Scott Machado. Thanking him for believing in me, telling me every night that this is something that you do, this is something that we brought you here for.  So for him to find me tonight and for him beating that into my head. Calling me when I was having down practices, just to tell me to keep my head up.

"To have a coaching staff that believes in you is great.  All the thanks in the world to them.  I have coaches who stayed in the gym all night long with me for three nights, all night long.  Just night in and night out, there were no breaks, no slack, there was no 'I'm tired, can we get a rest?' 

"The coaches said, 'If this is what you want to do, and this is what you love, you are going  to work,' and they made me work.  We worked on three-point shots, pull-ups in the lane, finishing and foul shots.

"My coaching staff has done a great job in believing in me. At times we go through ups and downs, but they believe in me.  This week they showed they really cared about me.  They sat me in the gym, it was sort of like basketball 101, all over again.  I love them for that."

Momo was also asked if he had been struggling recently.

MJ:  "Had a bad game at St. Peter's (Sunday).  Before that I was having, to me and everyone else, I was having a subpar season, averaging 15 points per game.  For a player like me they don't expect that, my teammates don't expect that of me. 

"I have to give them more, because they demand more of me, so I have to demand more of myself.  Tonight was a step towards that."

Ken Kraetzer covers Iona basketball and West Point football on WVOX 1460 AM. His Twitter address is SAL50NYRadio. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Going into this season, the status of former Arizona point guard Lamont "Momo" Jones was unknown. Jones had transferred  from Arizona to Iona College in May and had applied for a medical hardship waiver that would allow him to play for the Gaels this season.

Fortunately for Jones, his waiver was approved and he has been a major part of the Gaels record-breaking offense this season.

Even though Jones had played an outside role to the Gaels dynamic duo of Scott Machado and Michael Glover, Jones still was playing a major role in the Gaels offense and was only helping Iona achieve some of their lofty dreams.

Following a bad loss at home against Manhattan, Jones stepped up his play against Loyola, scoring 25 in a lead role for Iona's win over a Loyola side that at the time was tied with Iona on top of the MAAC.

Jones had 20-point efforts in wins against Rider and Fairfield before having a weak game against last year's MAAC champion, Saint Peters.

With last place Canisius at the Hynes Center last night, Jones completely took over. With his team putting together a weak defensive effort, Jones stepped in and put in one of the best individual efforts that has been seen at the Hynes Center in quite some time.

Jones scored 20 points, including the final six of the half for the Gaels' 51-47 halftime lead.

The beginning of the second half proved to be a continuation of the first; lots of scoring on both ends with Jones leading the show.

Yet even after the Gaels went on a 10-0 run in the second half, Momo did not let up. After coach Tim Cluess decided to leave in the Gaels' three main stars, Momo started to etch closer to the 40-point mark.

The move certainly paid off. Jones got to the 39-point mark before Taaj Ridley stole the ball from Gaby Belardo. Ridley fed the ball ahead to a streaking Jones, who laid the ball in to get to 41 points, breaking the old record of 40 points in a game at the Hynes Center by Sean Green back in March of 1991 against Siena.

The record for most points in a game for Iona is held by Warren Issac for his 50-point performance against Bates in 1964.

Jones would later make another field goal to give the Harlem native a remarkable 43 points in a game, tying Green for the second-most points in the game.

With less than a minute remaining, Jones was substituted out, causing the capacity crowd to erupt in a standing ovation chanting Momo Jones' name.

Not to be outdone, Machado once again had an outstanding game. Machado had 14 points and 14 assists with only two turnovers, only helping his NBA credentials. Michael Glover also had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds in the win. 

With the 105-86 win, the Gaels are now 10-2 in league play and will face Manhattan tomorrow night, knowing that a win would put them into first place in the MAAC.

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The Iona College Gaels got back on track this weekend with road wins Friday night at Fairfield (71-62) and Sunday at Saint Peter's (64-40).

The Gaels are 17-5 on the season and 9-2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.  They are tied for first place with Loyola of Maryland and Manhattan College, who both won Sunday.

On Friday night, the Gaels went out to a 17-point lead with 37-15 in the first half, but let Fairfield make a second half run to narrow the gap to four points with 2:42 left.  The Gaels made five of six free throws in the last minute to hold on to the much needed win. 

Lamont Jones had 20 points on 7-14 shooting with two threes.  Scott Machado had 18 points and five assists.  Michael Glover continued his consistent performance with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds.  Taaj Ridley coming off the bench had seven points.  Randy Desouvre started at the four position but did not score.

The Fairfield win made the Gaels feel a whole lot better after losing at Siena 65-62 on Monday night, a game in which they controlled much of the way after going out to a 20-2 lead.  Siena narrowed the deficit to ten at the half and took the lead with 2:28 left after two Rob Poole free throws.  Iona shot 34.4 percent from the field and just three of 16 on three-point shots. 

The loss wasted a 19 point, 12 rebound and four blocked shot performance of Mike Glover.  Scott Machado was held to three assists on the night.  Siena was led by O.D. Anosike, who had 17 points and 15 rebounds.   

Sunday afternoon, Saint Peter's went into the game with a disappointing 4-17 record after winning the MAAC conference and playing in the NCAA tournament last year.  Coach John Dunne again had his team come out playing a slow ball-control style that kept the Gaels from using their fast break. 

Afterwards Coach Dunne said about his strategy in playing Iona:

 "Try not to give them points in transition, don't give Glover dunks. Try your hardest to keep Machado out of the paint, and don't give Armand and Smyth open rhythm threes."

Iona went out to an early 8-2 lead over St. Peter's in Jersey City. The Gaels again started Randy Dezouvre at forward over Taaj Ridley whose offensive numbers have slipped in recent games.

Ra'Shad James and now Sean Armand have been in as Tim Cluess uses a rotation at the four. A couple of Peacock baskets have narrowed the score to 8-6 Gaels, with just under ten minutes left in the first half.

St. Peter's playing methodically and shooting well produced an eight-point run, taking a 10-8 lead on four from Darius Conley. 

Head Coach John Dunne, like he did in MAAC Championship game, has slowed the pace of the game to a crawl, forcing half-court play and using the shot clock.

The Gaels used a rotation at the three and four forward spots of Randy Dezouvre and Kyle Smyth starting, and Sean Armand, Ra'Shad James and Taaj Ridley coming off the bench.  Sean Armand scored 12 points coming off the bench on 5-11 shooting. 

After a low-scoring, slow-paced first half that ended with Iona leading 21-15, the game picked up in the second half.  Mike Glover opened with two inside scores which caused John Dunne to call time out. 

A Randy Dezouvre inside score gave Iona a 32-22 lead.  Machado followed with a three as the Gaels took over and sped up the tempo.  The Gaels went on a 11-2 run, highlighted by a dunk and a layup by Dezouvre.

With the game broken open, Scott Machado put on a show with a rebound, length of the court run, fake and layup to give Iona a 53-34 lead.  Machado followed up with fast break drive down lane, then offered "Momo" Jones an alley-oop pass, which his partner at guard layups for a 57-34 margin.  

After the game Coach Dunne said that, "You are not going to win scoring forty points."

Coach Cluess singled out Dezouvre, who had nine point and five rebounds in 21 minutes, for praise afterwards,

"Randy brought the energy that we thought he could bring.  You can see the energy that he inspires the rest of the team, gets us extra possessions, just does the dirty man things that need to be done.  I am really proud of him." 

Iona utilized a variety of defenses, Scott Machado commented, C"oach (Cluess) knows what he is doing on the defense end.  When coach sees something, he calls it, and we just do it."

Machado added about Saint Peter's ability to slow down Iona's running game:

"Once they shoot they like to send two men back so they can stop the fast break.  They were collecting offensive rebounds and we were not clearing rebounds so we could not run.  Once we started to do that in the second half we started to run."

The Fairfeld and Saint Peter's wins put the Gaels back in a first-place tie in the MAAC race for the regular season championship and in favorable seeding positions for the conference tournament the first weekend of March.  Iona will be working on beating the slow-down tactics that have lulled them to sleep in the second half of games like Manhattan and Seana.

I have to admit it is a pleasure to watch this team perform when it is playing its up-tempo style.  It will be a long time before we again see anything like the passing talent of Scott Machado and the secure hands and aggressiveness of Mike Glover under the basket.  Kyle Smyth and Sean Armand are amazing to watch when their jump shots are on.

Next year watching "Momo" Jones could be special, but veteran Iona basketball fans used to the cyclical rebuilding of a mid-major program, will be heard to say, "Remember the year that Mike Glover, Scott Machado and "Momo" Jones all played on the same Gael team?"  

Enjoy the fun while it lasts.

Ken Kraetzer is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Ken covers West Point football and Iona basketball for WVOX 1460 AM and Sons of the American Legion Radio.  Follow his updates on Twitter at: SAL50NYRadio.    

The Iona Gaels try to get back on a winning track with games this weekend—at Fairfield Stags on Friday and in Jersey City against the St. Peter's Peacocks.

Iona goes into weekend Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play with a 15-5 record 7-2 in the conference. Tonight's game at Fairfield will be at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport starting at 7 PM. The Stags are 10-9 and 5-3 in the MAAC. Iona's RPI stands at 51 and Fairfield 146. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU with Doug Sherman and Andy Katz describing the action. 

The Gaels are dealing with a disappointing 65-62 loss Monday at Siena. The Gaels went out to a 20-2 lead led by the scoring of guard Scott Machado and inside play of forward Mike Glover. The Gaels led by 10 at the half, 39-29, but cold shooting kept Iona from pulling ahead. 

Siena tied the game at 59 with 3:15 left. After Randy Dezouvre gave Iona a lead 62-61 with 2:18 left, the Saints' Kyle Downey hit a jumper to provide a one-point lead with 51 seconds left. Free throws by Rob Poole and a missed three-point attempt by Kyle Smyth finished off the night, creating a celebration for the the large Siena crowd. 

The Gaels just could not make a shot down the stretch.

Mike Glover had 19 points and 12 rebounds, but shot 6-of-14 from his low-post position, which is very unusual, as he has been a leader in the NCAA in shooting percentage above 65 percent. Point guard Scott Machado had 16 points but just three assists on the night—well below his NCAA-leading 10 per game.

Siena did a good job of cutting off the Machado-to-Glover pass under the basket which was so automatic against Rider the Friday night before.

Lamont Jones had 14 points but the Gaels had only nine points off the bench all from Randy Dezouvre, who had six on 3-of-6 shooting. Sean Armand did not score, after dropping 32 against Siena at Madison Square Garden early in January.

The 3 and 4 forward positions were very quiet on the night, with Taaj Ridley scoring one point in 16 minutes. Armand did not score in 17 minutes, while Smyth had one three-pointer in seven shots.

Head coach Mitch Buonaguro's Siena team did a very good job of cutting off the Gaels' passing lanes. Four Saints in double figures helped: O.D. Anosike had 17 points and 15 rebounds; Kyle Downey 16 points; Evan Hymes 11 points and Rob Poole 14 points.

Going into Friday's matchup at Harbor Yards complex in Bridgeport, the Fairfield Stags are led by the 15.9 points and eight rebounds per game provided by 6'5" senior Rakim Saunders. Junior guard Derek Needham averages 11 points per game. At center, 7'0" senior Ryan Olander has 10.3 points and 36 blocked shots.

Sunday afternoon, the Gaels will play at Saint Peter's in Jersey City. The Peacocks are struggling at 4-17 on the year and 3-7 in the MAAC.  Last year Jon Dunne's St. Peter's team produced a major surprise defeating Fairfield and Iona in the MAAC tournament to be the conference representative in the NCAA tournament.

Just two Peacocks average in double figures with Chris Prescott at 12.3 points and Darius Conley at 11.4. St. Peter's is plagued by poor shooting at 40.4 percent and overall low scoring at 60.4, 318th in Division One.

Iona will be looking to get their passing game going from Scott Machado to Glover, Jones and Kyle Smyth. Also, they need to get the bench involved. When Sean Armand is hitting his three-point shot, the Gaels score very aggressively with the defense focusing on Glover and Jones.  They need junior forward Taaj Ridley to step up under the boards on both ends of the court.

Ken Kraetzer covers Iona basketball and West Point football for WVOX 1460 AM in New Rochelle, NY and Sons of the American Legion radio. Receive his updates on Twitter @SAL50NYRadio.