Iona Basketball

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.  

There are a few special times in sporting events that see a special player at his best, making plays few others can.  That is how Iona point guard Scott Machado performed on Friday night in the Gaels' 91-71 win over Rider in New Rochelle.

The senior point guard from Queens, NY was one rebound away from a triple-double on the night; 15 assists, 11 points and nine rebounds, eight off the defensive boards.  He had just two turnovers on the night. 

Machado continues to lead the nation in assists per game with 10.6, a full assist per game better than Kendall Marshall of North Carolina. 

Iona's run last year to the finals of the postseason CIT tournament helped showcase Machado's ability to a national audience.  Over the summer, he played in Brazil. On the court this season, he is noticeably more confident in handling the ball and directing the Iona offense. 

One sign that Machado is slowly attracting national attention is his being named on January 17th to the "Midseason Top 25" for the John R. Wooden Award, issued by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.  Machado was one of only six nominees named from non-BCS conferences.  The winner will be announced during the Final Four and presented at a gala dinner on April 6th.

Three plays in the game really highlighted Machado's confidence and play-making ability.

In the first half, with 5:30 left, Machado brought the ball across mid-court, looked left and passed to forward Sean Armand deep in the right corner.  Armand caught it and in the same motion lofted a three that swished through the basket.  That gave Iona a nine-point lead, which ended up becoming a 46-32 difference at the half.

In the second, with three minutes gone, Machado took down a defensive rebound, ran across mid-court to the top of the circle, saw Lamont Jones cutting left down the base line and lined a pass under the basket, which Jones caught and put up as a back-door layup.  Iona went to a 21-point lead at 57-36.

Just a moment later, Machado led another play for the Gaels that signaled this game was over.  Again Machado took down a defensive rebound, dribbled the ball to the top of the key, and just arched an alley-oop pass, grabbed above the basket by Mike Glover, who "Monster" slammed it home. That gave Iona a 25-point lead at 65-40 with 14:38 left—this came was over.    

Overall, Iona showed speed on the offense, turning rebounds into fast-break points.  Lamont Jones looked more fluid in the offense, often playing the opposite side of the court to draw attention away from Machado.  On defense, Iona seemed to make their 2-3 zone work more effectively, making Rider work for shots and baskets.

On the game, Iona shot 55 percent from the field, led by the 21 points and 8-of-9 shooting contributed from Mike Glover, mostly from under the low post.

Lamont Jones had another solid game with 20 points as he gets more and more comfortable playing off Machado and Glover.  "Momo" shot 9-of-15 from the field avoiding forced shots witnessed in past games.

Another productive position for Iona in the lineup is the platoon at small forward between Kyle Smyth and Sean Armand.  In the first half Armand was hot, making 5-of-8 on three-point shots.  Smyth added a pair of threes as the duo contributed 27 points in a combined 39 minutes.  Overall, the Gaels shot 45 percent on three-point shots.

Kyle Smyth has an edge on defense with a willingness and ability to draw charges that gives a slight edge on playing time.  Armand (as he did at Madison Square Garden, scoring 32 against Siena) can get hot and be as consistent a shooter as anyone you will see.

Tommie Dempsey's Rider team challenged the Gaels with a 2-3 zone defense and slowing the game as much as possible, but the Gaels won on turning rebounds into fast break points and making their shots.

Iona head to Albany to face the Siena Saints, who are 8-10 on the year and 3-5 in MAAC play.  The Saints are led by OD Anosike, who averages a double-double, 14.8 points per game and 12.6 rebounds.

Our condolences and prayers to all at Marist College on the tragic loss of two students and a guest in an off campus fire over the weekend.  Simply a terrible tragedy that all in the world of college sports can feel for those involved and their families.

Ken Kraetzer covers Iona basketball and West Point football on WVOX 1460 AM in New Rochelle, NY and Sons of the American Legion Radio.  His Twitter address is @SAL50NYRADIO.

Lamont "Momo" Jones came back from Tucson and the University of Arizona to be near his ailing grandmother. The NCAA granted him a waiver so he would not have to sit out a year. Now, he is a key contributor to the Iona Gaels. 

Over the holidays I had a chance to sit down with Lamont and chat with him about his move to Iona and the season so far.  On Sunday afternoon he scored 25 points, his best performance of the year, as the Gaels defeated Metro Atlantic Conference rival Loyola 74-63.  

Mike Glover had another consistently strong game with a double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds.  Point Guard Scott Machado had 12 points and nine assists. 

Junior transfer Taaj Ridley had a double-double himself with 10 points and 10 rebounds.  Ridley was noticeably quiet in the loss to Manhattan and the Loyola game was an opportunity for him to assert himself.

The Gaels trailed the Hounds 36-31 at the half and needed a strong second half effort to avoid their second straight loss at home. 

Kyle Smyth came off the bench for Sean Armand and played 34 minutes, but shot 1-3 from the floor all three-points shots.  Armand started, but played just four minutes shooting 1-4 and sat the rest of the way. 

The Gaels shot 50 percent on the afternoon, helped along by Mike Glover's 7-10 from his primary low-post spot in the Iona offense.  The Gaels out rebounded Loyola 40-30, which is normally an area of concern for coach Tim Cluess.  

The emergence of Taaj Ridley as a player on the boards in this game might have made the difference. 

Lamont Jones shot 10 of 15 from the floor with 15 points coming in the second half. "Momo" made a key three-point play off a layup and foul with 14:25 left that tied the score at 46 all. The Gaels never trailed after that play.

It was a pleasure to sit down and get to know Lamont, a poised and thoughtful young man.  He was well spoken, purposeful young man who is serious about his school work and playing the game of basketball.  

Jones had a big adjustment coming from Arizona, where he played the point on the Wildcats team which reached the NCAA Elite Eight.  At Arizona he averaged 9.7 points and 2.4 assists per game.

Q. How was the transition for you from Arizona to Iona College in New Rochelle?

A.  It was pretty easy, the team accepted me, the coaching staff accepted me, for the person I am and the player I am.  Glov (Mike Glover) and Scott (Machado) in particular made it very easy for me to come in here and be the person I am and to fit in.

Q.  Which position did you play for Arizona last year?

A.  Last year I played strictly the one (guard).

Q.  At Iona your scoring is increasing with every game, how has it been to fit in to the Gael offense?

A.  It is something I love to do, scoring. Coming out of high school, I was a scorer.  I had to learn to be a point guard.  But coming here being able to play the off guard, being in the backcourt with Scotty, having Glov as a weapon down low, it kind of opens things up for all of us.  Defenses can not really key on one person because it is the three of us. 

Then you have the players who come off the bench, like Sean Armand, Kyle Smyth, and Ra'Shad James, who can give us productive minutes and score the ball. It has been a great experience and as time goes by, coach gives me more and more freedom, and I get more and more comfortable with being in this offense.

Q.  What about playing defenses and the style of pressing coach Cluess likes to use?

A.  It is a totally different thing.  If the coach wants to press, we are going to press.  You have to have heart to play defense, whether it is full-court pressure, half-court pressure or three-quarter pressure.  Defense begins with your heart. If you have heart you can play defense no matter what the defense is.  That is what I bring to this team, I have a lot of heart.  At times I may not get the defenses that we play early in the season, but I have a lot of heart which makes up for me not always knowing the defenses.

Q.  You played a long road trip in December winning six of seven, what did it take to play well on the road?

A.  Heart, determination and togetherness.  When you have heart, and you are together, and you are determined to do something that no one has ever done before, take on a road trip as brutal as that was, when you put those three things together and combine them, it is a tough thing to beat. And when your whole team has it, it is lovely. 

I think that us going on that road trip really helped us. We came together more and more as the trips went on. We came together as brothers and close teammates than when we started the journey. 

As of now, we are one. We are just one. It brought us together and it allowed us to play together, and have each other's backs on the road.  At the Denver (game), we were down and had to come back to win, and at Richmond where we were up but not really safe and having to come out and in the second half and trust each other, play defense and score the ball and to get the win.

Q. You came east to be closer to your ailing grandmother.  How is she doing?

A.  She is doing fine.

Q.  How the adjust been going from a big school like Arizona to a small school like Iona?

A.  It has been great.  Actually, it has been better for me.  It is small, not a lot of people, not a lot of distractions.  I could focus on basketball and school.  I finished up this semester with a  3.1 (Grade Point Average), so that was great.

I was able to focus more and do my work and get to my teachers, when I needed to get to them.  Everything is so close whereas I did not have to go on-line or do something to find a teacher.  If I had a class that day, I was most likely able to see a teacher if I needed help with some work. 

Our coaching staff and our academic staff do a great job helping us academically whether it is tutors, or in study hall every day. It has been great.

Q.  How did you handle studying and being on the road?

A.  It is just a matter of being focused and tuned in on the task at hand, and the task at hand is basketball and school.  School comes first and basketball comes second.  If I do not get good grades, then I am not going to be able to play.  If I do not get good grades, then my mother is not going to be happy, neither is my grandmother or the rest of my family. 

When you grow up and you look back and you have kids, and you have a wife, some people look back and say wow, man, I wish I had that degree.  I don't want to be that person.

Q. What are your goals for basketball and the rest o the season? 

A.  My focus is just to win this game (the next game). Like I told my teammates and told my coaches, every game from here on out we are zero and zero.  We have to look at it like every game is a championship game.  We just got to take it as that. Tomorrow we are zero and zero and we are going to try and win a championship game tomorrow.  

It was great to talk with Lamont "Momo" Jones. He is mature about responsibilities, his family, his school work and basketball.  He and the Iona Gaels have a bright future together.

Ken Kraetzer covers Iona basketball for WVOX 1460 AM, WVOX.com and Sons of the American Legion Radio.  His Twitter address is SAL50NY Radio.    

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On a last-second shot by Emmy Andujar, the Manhattan Jaspers upset Iona on the Gaels' home court, 75-72.  Manhattan, who defeated Fairfield on Sunday, improved to 11-7 on the year and 4-2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.  The disappointed Gaels, who let a substantial lead slip away, fell to 13-4 on the year and 5-1 in the MAAC.

Iona lead by as much as 17 late in the first half, at 37-20, and at the half, 39-22, but it was a game of two halves, as Jaspers decisively outscored the Gaels in the second half, 53-33.

The early-going was dominated by the passing of Gaels point guard Scott Machado, the inside play of power forward Mike Glover and the outside shooting of Sean Armand and Kyle Smyth.

Sean Armand, who had 32 points last week against Siena, started for the Gaels and was hot, making four-of-five three-point shots in the half.  Armand is splitting time at the 3 for Iona with Kyle Smyth, who came in and hit a trio of his own three-point shots in the opening half, as the Gaels went out to 39-22 lead. 

In the second Mike Glover scored the 1,000th point of his two year Iona career on a neat alley-op pass from Scott Machado who was driving down the lane.  The senior scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half but was limited to 27 minutes played by fouls.

Sloppy play and poor shooting by Iona let Manhattan back in the game.  With 7:32 left, Scott Machado missed a layup when Iona still led 65-51.  With 5:15 left, the Jaspers cut the Iona lead to under 10, at 65-56, on a jumper by Kidani Brutus.  Two free throws by Manhattan's Rhamel Brown brought the Jaspers within seven, 65-58.

With four minutes left and Iona holding a 69-62 lead, Kyle Smyth and Lamont Jones missed jump shots, while Mike Glover missed a free throw.  The Gaels missed seven straight shots late in the game.  Then Machado took his fourth foul with 2:00 left.

After two free throws by Andujar reduced the deficit to two, Manhattan applied a full-court press, trapping Machado.  Michael Alvarado stole the ball and made a layup to tie score at 69 with 1:53 left. 

Smyth and Machado had chances to give Gaels a lead, but missed jumpers.  Mike Glover was fouled going for Machado's rebound, then missed the first of two free throws and made the second to give Gaels a 70-69 lead with 32 seconds left. 

A layup by Rhamel Brown gave the lead back to Manhattan at 71-70 with eight seconds left.  A foul on the play let Brown convert the three-point play to produce a 72-70 lead.  

It looked bleak for Iona, but "Momo" Jones put up a soft jumper from the right side of the lane to tie the game at 72 with three seconds left. 

After a Manhattan timeout, the Jaspers had less than two seconds to get off a shot or face overtime.  The inbounds pass went to Emmy Andujar, who elevated a 24-foot jumper from just right of the top of the key.  The ball went off the glass and in, igniting a Manhattan celebration and creating a stunned silence over the capacity Iona crowd. 

Manhattan coach Steve Masiello pulled his team off the court while the referee looked at the in-house replay.  After a moment of deliberation, the ref gave the touchdown sign to indicate the shot was officially good.  A photo taken from an overhead camera synchronized with the shot clock showed that the shot was off with four-tenths of a second left.

After the game, I asked Iona coach Tim Cluess about his team's defense, which gave up 53 points in the second half:

Need to keep our guys playing hard, we are a small team, and if are our guys are not going to fight and battle in there, we are going to lose.  The games we have lost have been on the boards.  Our guards need to get in there and not watch. Their bigs are getting in and cleaning up.  That is the story of our year. My fault.

About the play of point guard Scott Machado, who had 16 assists and continues to lead the NCAA in assists per game, coach Cluess said:

He is playing so well everyone is waiting for him to make a play, Scott has been a tremendous leader on and off the court.

About the general energy level of the team Coach Clues said:

They played 40 minutes, we played 26 minutes.  Our guys need to have some hunger for 40 minutes.

For first year Manhattan coach Steve Masiello, a graduate of Kentucky in 2000, the win was sweet.  The team looked transformed from the Jasper team that Iona routed at Draddy Gym last February.  They now have solid wins over Hofstra, Fairfield and Iona. 

George Beaman had 21 points.  Emmy Andujar, the hero of the last-second shot, had 17 points, as did Rhamel Brown, who battled Mike Glover under the boards all night and grabbed 11 rebounds.

The loss for Iona, although their first in MAAC play, leaves them soul searching about why they can't play a full 60 minutes and about their defense.  The loss eliminates their aura of invincibility in the conference and suggests a race for the regular-season title with Manhattan, Fairfield and Loyola.

The Gaels will be back in action Sunday afternoon in New Rochelle playing Loyola, who is 11-4 on the season.

Ken Kraetzer covers Iona basketball and West Point football for WVOX 1460 AM in New Rochelle, NY and Sons of the American Legion Radio.  His Twitter address in SAL50NYRADIO

Last year, Scott Machado was one of the most unheralded yet talented point guards in Division I. This year, the Iona Gaels' floor general leads the nation in assists (10.4 per game), so you might have heard of him.

Whether or not you’re familiar with Machado and his numbers, though, you cannot fully appreciate him until you see him in person. Even TV doesn’t do the senior floor general justice.

Believe me.

As a follower of the MAAC, I've known about Machado since Kevin Willard signed him out of St. Benedict's Prepatory School in 2008. I knew he averaged 4.8 dimes as a freshman, 3.9 as a sophomore and 7.6 as a junior; I knew he has progressed as a scorer each year; and I have seen him lead Iona's offensive charge in numerous telecasts.

But Thursday night, I headed north to New Rochelle to see Machado in person for the first time as he and the Gaels hosted my hometown Manhattan College Jaspers.

The Queens native exceeded my expectations from the moment I entered the Hynes Athletic Center. You see, TV broadcasts don't show warmups.

After tonight, however, I say every Iona warmup session should be taped.

Machado led the Gaels out of the locker room and nonchalantly tossed an alley-oop to commence pre-game layup lines. He flicked his wrist with such ease—seemingly paying minimal attention to the recipient.

But the feed was flawless and right in front of the rim.

Then, he did this.

If you thought you saw him throw a ball off the wall, catch it off an impeccably calculated bounce and soar for a slam, you don't need to visit an eye doctor anytime soon.

Yet another reason why statistics don't mean everything, folks. 

(For the record: Machado isn't the only reason Iona's layup lines should be filmed. Gael after Gael flew in for windmills, tomahawks and the like throughout the first few rounds. It was truly a unique display.)

But for those of you still interested in stats, Iona netted 15 field goals in the first half. Machado assisted nine of them and scored two. He was responsible for 28 of the Gaels' 39 first-half points.

Still, you don't see the full picture in the box score.

Though several of Machado's assists were noteworthy, two were extraordinary.

First, the floor general connected with Michael Glover on a long fast break alley-oop. Without tipping off anyone, Machado threw a pass right to where Glover could easily snatch it out of the air and deposit it for two. 

You'll see lots of 30-foot alley-oops in the NBA, and several each year in college basketball, but how many are delivered perfectly by the passer?

Machado threw two perfect alley-oops against the Jaspers—both to Glover. Glover didn't have to adjust to a pass thrown too high or too low. He didn't need to reach behind him or extend his arms beyond comfort.

Perfection.

Also in the first half, Machado penetrated the top of Manhattan's 2-3 zone and had his eyes on a teammate on the right wing.

Everyone in the gym expected a pass to the wing. I did. The fans around me did. And, of course, the Manhattan defense did as well.

As the zone shifted to defend what appeared to be an imminent pass to the wing, Machado hurled a backhanded, no-looker to an open Taaj Ridley on the baseline for an easy layup.

Not even instant replays can truly capture what Machado did. They can't portray the astonishment of the defense and the fans alike upon realizing where the pass actually went.

Machado finished with 16 assists and just one turnover against a Jasper defense that forces 15.6 per game.

Although 6'1" NBA point guards are practically archaic, Machado might be the best floor general in the country. You just have to see it to believe it. If you do, you'll realize he has the distributing skills to play at the next level.

Time's running out, though, and I implore you: Attend an Iona game before he graduates this spring.

Separated by only six miles, Manhattan and Iona have the most intense rivalry in the MAAC. Dating back to 1997, 17 of their 30 meetings have been decided by a single-digit margin.

During the early and mid-2000s, the Gaels and the Jaspers were consistently two of the premier programs in the MAAC. From 2000-2006, they combined for five NCAA tournament berths.

Since then, both programs have been trying to rebuild back to the top of the conference.

Iona is already well on its way to becoming a premier mid-major once again. After going to the 2011 CIT Championship game, the Gaels were picked to finish No. 1 in the MAAC in 2011-12. So far, they have not disappointed, going 13-3, 5-0 in the MAAC.

However, Manhattan is a step behind. But after finishing with only six wins last season, the Jaspers have already won 10 games this season under new head coach Steve Masiello, currently sitting in third place in the MAAC.

Iona will be playing for its first 6-0 start since the 1995-96 season, while Manhattan looks for its second straight win over one of the top teams in the MAAC. Here is what both teams will have to do in order to be successful tonight.

Keys for Manhattan

Knock down the three-ball

Manhattan has lived and died by the three-point shot in many games this year.

The Jaspers are No. 4 in the MAAC at 35.7 percent, and they are No. 3 in three-pointers made. When making fewer than six treys in a game, they have scored more than 65 points only two times.

Against a high-powered offense like Iona's, Manhattan will need many more than 65 points just to stay close.

The Jaspers have three potentially deadly shooters in George Beamon, Kidani Brutus, and Liam McCabe-Moran, and all three will need to be on their game.

No foul trouble in the frontcourt

Iona's frontcourt is obviously more talented than Manhattan's.

The Gaels have possibly the best mid-major big man in senior Michael Glover, a candidate for mid-major player of the year.

Although he is overshadowed by Glover, junior Taaj Ridley is also having a solid season with 8.3 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Rhamel Brown and Roberto Colonette anchor the Manhattan frontcourt.

Both Manhattan big men are undersized, although they have put up some solid numbers despite their disadvantage. 

However, another disadvantage is that both Brown and Colonette are foul-prone, and Manhattan does not have great depth in the frontcourt.

Keys for Iona

Break apart Manhattan's press

Manhattan's full-court press often works well, but multiple teams have found holes in the pressure defense.

Iona has a number of good ballhandlers, starting with Scott Machado and Arizona transfer Lamont Jones, so it should be able to find some success against the press.

Put pressure on Manhattan

Although the Jaspers' ball control has been improving, they still have major troubles taking care of the ball. This year, Manhattan is averaging 17 turnovers per game.

In the first half of its most recent game against Fairfield, Manhattan turned over the ball 13 times in the first half alone.

Iona's full-court pressure and hectic style could lead to some easy, transition buckets off turnovers.

Stats you should know:

• This will be the first time that Iona and Manhattan play with both teams having winning records since the final game of the 2005-06 season, when the Jaspers defeated Iona, 78-74, to win a regular-season MAAC championship.
• Machado leads the nation in assists with 10.1 assists per game, and Glover is No. 2 in the MAAC in scoring with 19 points per game.
• Beamon has scored in double digits in every game since Jan. 15, 2011. He is averaging 17.5 points per game in his last six games.
• Brown is No. 4 in career blocks at Manhattan with 110. He sits 29 blocks behind Jamal Marshall.

My pick: Manhattan is clearly a program on the rise, but the Jaspers are not yet ready to take down a premier mid-major 

The Gaels inconsistent defense should allow Manhattan to stay relatively close, but they will ultimately win this one with some breathing room.

Iona 87, Manhattan 72

Tip-Off: Thursday, Jan. 12, 7:00 PM at Hynes Athletics Center

The Iona Gaels (12-3, 4-0 MAAC) came home Friday night after nine straight on the road to their cozy Hynes Center court to defeat the Niagara Purple Eagles 73-61.  The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game was their 12th win in 15 games on the season. 

This was another big game for Iona senior power forward Mike Glover who had 19 points, six rebounds and even two steals.  Perhaps playing in front of his young son who he brings to postgame press conferences makes a difference.  Glover really has been very consistent on the year playing the low post on offense with point guard Scott Machado feeding passes underneath for layups and dunks.  Against Niagara, Glover made 6-of-7 from the field and 7-of-8 on free throws.

Scott Machado went into the week leading the NCAA with an average of more than 10 assists per game.  Friday he added eight more along with 13 points and three steals.  Scott is continuing to show the poise of leading the Gaels to last year's CIT postseason final and playing over the summer in South America.

Quiet night for junior Lamont "Momo" Jones who had five points on 2-of-10 shooting in 36 minutes.  Sophomore swingman Sean Armand who had 32 points Tuesday at Madison Square Garden stared at the three position and was 2-of-8 from the field for six points.  Taaj Ridey starting at the 4 provided six rebounds and six points.

Senior Jermel Jenkins came in provided the Gaels instant offense making 2-of-5 three-point shots and all six of his foul shots for 12 points on the night.

Randy Dezouvre and "Digs" Moikobu both provided four rebounds each for the Gaels.  Rebounding has been a concern area for head coach Tim Cluess.

For Niagara playing four guards and a forward to start the game, Malcolm Lemmons had 14 points as did Juan`ya Green.  Antoine Mason had 12 points and off the bench Marvin Jordan contributed 14.  The Purple Eagles are now 6-10 on the year and 1-3 in the MAAC. 

Sometimes playing college basketball on the road creates focus and character, it is always a lot of travel, missed classes, and juggling assignments and exams.  For mid-majors playing well in non-conference road games is a way to build up credentials for postseason NCAA considerations and seeding.

The Gaels finished their month long road trip highlighted by close wins at Denver and Vermont and a dominating performance at Madison Square Garden against Siena with a 7-2 record. It is certainly different for a mid-major with a small gym to schedule home non-conference games versus  schools in BCS conferences playing in larger arenas who can mostly schedule home games before the start of their conference schedule. 

Now in their conference season, the Gaels will be working on maintaining their consistency on a nightly basis.  They want to avoid the off nights which they experienced at Marshall and Hofstra.  Certainly they were energized in practice and by the chance to present their skills to the Madison Square Garden crowd and media. 

The next challenge for the Gaels is in Poughkeepsie at Marist on Sunday afternoon at 2 PM. 

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In other Metro Atlantic Conference action on Friday night, Rider defeated Marist 99-86, Siena defeated Fairfield 73-60, and Loyola over Canisius 77-62.

Sunday action in addition to Iona-Marist will be at 2 PM in Riverdale with Fairfield at Manhattan, 2 PM Rider is at Saint Peter's in Jersey City, and a late game in Albany as Niagara visits Siena starting at 7 PM. 

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Scott Machado is having a sensational year for Iona leading the country in assists per game most of the season.  The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Iona's senior point guard is one of 20 finalists for the 2012 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award.  An original 60 candidates was considered will be reduced during the year until the award winner is announced on Monday April 2nd in New Orleans as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

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

Sean Armand came off the Iona bench to score 32 points as the Gaels defeated Siena 95-59 Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. The Gaels, now 11-3 and unbeaten in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play, finally return home to New Rochelle Friday night for a 9 p.m. ESPN broad-casted game against Niagara.

For Sean Armand this was a night to remember as he set both Iona and MAAC conference records by making ten three point shots in 19 attempts. A remarkable performance on the big stage of "The Garden," the place every New York City basketball player dreams of playing and hearing the roar of the crowd.

The Gaels trailed early in the game to the Saints 19-17 but went on a torrid 40-12 run in the final 13:36 of the first half to take 57-13 halftime lead.

The Gaels had an amazing 57 points off the bench including 16 from senior Jermel Jenkins. Early last year Jenkins started as the two guard but now plays behind Lamont "Momo" Jones.

"Momo" Jones, the point guard on last year's Arizona "Elite Eight" team, led Iona starters with 14 points and seven assists. Jones was given a waiver to play immediately because he needed to move back closer to an ailing family member in New York City.

Mike Glover, the preseason MAAC Player of the Year had a quiet night by his standards with 10 points and five rebounds, but provided four blocked shots to the defense.

Iona point guard Scott Machado came into the game as the nation's leader with 10.4 assists per game, had a near triple double combination of nine points, nine rebounds and nine assists in 28 minutes.

Siena now 5-8 and 0-3 in the MAAC was led by the 22 points of guard Evan Hymes and 12 from forward O.D. Anosike.

Technically a home game for Iona, the MSG date concluded a nine-game span away from its home court in New Rochelle, NY that covered the month of December. The Gaels won seven of the nine with note able overtime wins at Denver and Vermont. They won both conference games at Canisius and and Niagara, both games in Virginia against Richmond and Maryland. They lost at Marshall looking exhausted and last week at Hofstra in a sluggish post Christmas performance.

The Gaels now 11-3 return home to New Rochelle on Friday night to play Niagara.

Two other notable NYC area basketball wins Tuesday night were Fordham's 60-54 win over No. 22 Harvard and Seton Hall's 75-63 home win over No. 8 Connecticut.

Ken Kraetzer covers Iona basketball and West Point football for WVOX radio in New Rochelle, NY and Sons of the American Legion Radio.  His Twitter address is SAL50NYRadio.

The Iona Gaels and Siena Saints get back to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST on the big stage of Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Technically, this is a home game for the 10-3 Gaels who are playing their ninth straight game away from their Hynes Center home in New Rochelle, New York. 

Their first eight games were a road trip in which they won six, including conference wins at Canisius and Niagara, then victories at Denver, Richmond, Vermont and William and Mary.

The lone loss in that stretch was at Marshall, following the thrilling overtime win in Colorado.

Last Wednesday night, the Gaels struggled in a bus trip to Hofstra on Long Island, looking like a team playing their eighth straight game on the road.  

Point guard Scott Machado sat on the bench in foul trouble for much of the second half before fouling out.   Hofstra took a 19-point lead with 14:33 left in the second. 

The Gaels made a 19-7 run to get the margin down to seven with 7:46 left, but that would be as close as they would come.

"Quick" was how the play of Hofstra was described by WFAN afternoon host Mike Francesa, who was in attendance, on his show the next day. 

Hofstra's Mike Moore scored 24 points, David Imes had 16 points and 15 rebounds and Nathaniel Lester had 10 rebounds for Mo Cassara's club, which is now 6-7 on the year.

Iona was led by a strong game from power forward Mike Glover who had 20 points and 13 rebounds.  Forward Kyle Smyth returned to the Iona lineup after missing games with an injury, scoring 12 points in 23 minutes. 

Lamont "Momo" Jones had 20 points, but forced shots, going six of 20 from the field and one of six on three-point attempts.

Point guard Scott Machado struggled throughout with fouls, so he sat on the bench for a portion of the first half.  He sat again in the second half with his fourth foul at 15:19. 

Machado had ten assists, but just five points and five turnovers, fouling out with 2:37 left.

Not scoring in the game was sophomore starter Sean Armand.  Guard Jermel Jenkins also continued to struggle finding his shooting touch, going pointless in seven minutes. 

Both Jenkins and Armand tend to be streaky shooters; if they make early shots, they can be in double figures, otherwise Iona coach Tim Cluess will limit their time.

Siena comes into the Garden off a 67-60 road win in Boca Raton, Florida, against Florida International. 

The Saints' junior center, 6-foot-8, 232-pound OD Anosike from Staten Island scored 17 points and had 13 rebounds.  

Four Saints were in double figures: Along with Anosike's 17, Kyle Downey and Evan Hymes had 14 points  and Rob Poole scored 11.

Machado continues to lead the entire NCAA with 10.4 assists per game; Iona is also No. 1 on a team basis. 

The Gaels' up-tempo offense is producing 85 points per game, fifth best in the NCAA, and they have a field goal percentage of .505, which is also fifth best at the highest level of college basketball.

Saturday I was at the Providence-Georgetown game in Washington, a 49-40 win by the Hoyas.  What a difference in the slow, half court style of play in the Big East vs. the fast-paced, full court pressure game played by Iona.    

Ed Cooley is the new Friars coach coming back home to his native Rhode Island from a successful run at Fairfield.  PC is my undergraduate alma mater and I'll always bleed Friar black and white, but they are a year away. 

Junior Guard Vincent Council averages 16 points per game and 6.6 assists, but the Friars could not come close to matching the inside game of Georgetown, led by 6-foot-10, 240-pound senior Henry Sims.

Providence, now 11-4, goes into a tough stretch that only the current version of the Big East can produce with home games coming up Wednesday against Syracuse, then Seton Hall, Louisville, a road trip to Syracuse and then a home game against Marquette. 

Ed Cooley will have the team playing hard while waiting for a strong recruiting class to join them next year.

Ken Kraetzer covers Iona basketball and West Point football for WVOX 1460 AM in New Rochelle, New York, and Sons of the American Legion Radio.  Watch for his report from the Orange Bowl this week. Twitter: @SAL50NYRadio.