NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College men’s basketball team has been selected to play the Big South’s Liberty University in the 2011 ESPN BracketBusters game on Saturday, Feb. 19. The Gaels will travel to Lynchburg, VA to face the Flames in a televised matchup on ESPNU at 3:00 pm.
Iona earns its third televised contest in the six years it has participated in the event. It is the first road TV game for the Gaels in the series after previously defeating Buffalo in 2006 and William & Mary last year at the Hynes Center.
Iona and Liberty meet for the second time in history after an 84-68 Gael win at the Hynes Center on Dec. 20, 1997. The victory was the third in the stretch of 15 straight during the season. Liberty is the first Big South opponent for the Maroon & Gold since it opened the 2006-07 campaign against Winthrop in the NIT Season Tip-Off in Charlotte, NC. Iona is 2-2 all time vs. the Big South including the win over the Flames.
Liberty holds a 16-7 overall record and is 10-1 in Big South play. Four players average double-digits including 6-2 sophomore guard Evan Gordon, the younger brother of Los Angeles Clippers’ standout Eric Gordon. The younger Gordon has averaged 14.4 points with a team-best 52 three-pointers. 6-4 junior guard John Brown is No. 2 on the scoring list and No. 1 rebounder, averaging a double-double with 11.5 ppg and 10.6 rebounds. 6-6 junior guard David Minaya and 6-3 junior Jesse Sanders both average 10.7 points per contest. Sanders and Iona’s Scott Machado are two of five performers in NCAA Division I with more than 150 assists on the season at the present moment.
As part of the BracketBusters agreement, Liberty will come to New Rochelle for a “return” game at the Hynes Center in November or December of the 2012-13 season.
About BracketBusters
The BracketBusters concept, named because of the success of participating teams from these conferences in NCAA Tournament play through the years, provides programs with an opportunity to play top non-conference opponents roughly three weeks before Selection Sunday. Each conference selects its participating teams before the season, and the matchups for the event are determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences. BracketBusters is an example of ESPN college basketball franchise programming. Others include Rivalry Week Presented by Cisco, Feast Week Presented by Lowe’s, Holiday Hoops Presented by Kay Jewelers and Judgment Week and Championship Week Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods.