2-4-24 Recap: Greg Gordon's Star Continues to Rise in Iona's Victory over Rider

 by Joe Budzelek
(@stf_ncaa)

With the undeniable coaching ability of Tobin Anderson and the depth of talent on Iona's roster, it was only a matter of time before the Gaels -- whose roster is built up entirely of players who never played together until this season -- made an impact as one of the top squads in the MAAC.

After Sunday's 94-to-93 win to Rider, the Gaels are winners of five of their last six and are now in sole possession of fifth place in the MAAC standings, a pivotal standing to build from with the conference tournament only six weeks away and the top-five seeds earning automatic spots in the quarterfinals. 

With the former leading scorer Idan Tretout missing the last three games with a leg injury, junior guard Greg Gordon stepped up yet again today, scoring 28 points (7-11 from the charity stripe) to go along with six rebounds (all offensive), five assists (a career high), two steals and no turnovers, a finish that has now helped Gordon take lead as the team's top scorer.

A productive player for most of the season, Gordon's play and production has skyrocketed over the last seven games, averaging 21 points-per-game. Quickly gaining notoriety as a high-motor small-ball power forward, Gordon's growing creativity off the dribble was on full display today, especially in the defensive pressure he forced upon Rider's star forward Mervin James, who fouled out early in the second half.

Freshman Jeremiah Quigley (17 points, 7 assists, 11-16 from the line) also continued has exceptional play starting at the point guard position in place of the injured Tretout, where Quigley has looked more confident in each game, both in his ability to facilitate in the half-court and create his own offense off the dribble, scoring a total of 58 points across the last three games. Particularly later in the second half, Quigley's creativity on the floor and poise on the free-throw line has ascended Quigley as one of the more dangerous closers in the conference.

Fellow freshman Alex Bates also has stepped up earning regular playing time during Tretout's absence. Late in the first half, Bates scored two quick backdoor cut buckets immediately off out-of-bounds plays while his gritty defense pestered the Broncs, earning Bates a steal and a block apiece. 

Iona's fifth-year seniors were instrumental in today's game. Playing a season-high 28 minutes, Osborn Shema scored seventeen points, tied a season-high of three assists and snared a pair of blocks and steals while Joel Brown dished four assists and grabbed two steals in his signature hard-nosed defense. Hitting six threes, Wheza Panzo continued to show why he is one of, if not the best floor spacer in the MAAC.

Leading by as much as 24 points in the second half, Rider freshman DJ Dudley fueled the Broncs' comeback by scoring sixteen points in the game's final eight minutes, but the Gaels were able to hold on to the victory, finishing with the team's first winning record of the season.