Iona asserted its dominance over Canisius from the opening tip, cruising to a 74-48 victory at the Hynes Athletics Center. The Gaels' balanced attack, led by Denver Anglin's 14 points and 5 rebounds, proved too much for the Golden Griffins to handle. Iona's CJ Anthony and Kosy Akametu also made significant contributions, scoring 12 points each, with Anthony adding 6 assists to his tally.
The first half set the tone for the game, with Iona taking a 30-25 lead into the break. However, it was the second half where the Gaels truly pulled away, outscoring Canisius 44-23. Iona's offense clicked on all cylinders, with multiple players getting involved in the scoring. The Gaels' defense was equally impressive, holding Canisius to a mere 23 points in the second half.
For Canisius, Mike Evbagharu was the lone bright spot, finishing with 10 points and 6 rebounds. Kahlil Singleton and Bryan Ndjonga chipped in with 9 and 8 points, respectively, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Gaels' onslaught. The Golden Griffins struggled to find any rhythm on offense, and their defense was unable to contain Iona's diverse attack.
The win improves Iona's record to 14-8, while Canisius falls to 8-13. Although this game was not expected to be a closely contested matchup, Iona's performance was impressive nonetheless. The Gaels' ability to share the ball and get multiple players involved in the scoring will be a key factor in their success going forward.
This result will have implications for both teams' tournament resumes. For Iona, the win is considered a Quadrant 4 victory, which may not significantly boost their profile but does help to avoid a bad loss. On the other hand, Canisius was facing a Quadrant 3 opponent, and the loss will likely hurt their already slim tournament chances. With a current NET ranking of 343, the Golden Griffins must string together some impressive wins to get back into the conversation.
Iona's convincing victory over Canisius demonstrates their potential to make some noise in their conference. With a strong team effort and balanced scoring, the Gaels are a force to be reckoned with. As the season progresses, Iona want to build on this performance and make a push for a higher tournament seed. For now, the Gaels can enjoy the fruits of their labor, having dominated a conference opponent in impressive fashion. The win is a reflection of Iona's growth and development, and they want to carry this momentum forward into their upcoming games.