NEW ROCHELLE, NY (January 31, 2026) — The Iona University men’s basketball team fell to Fairfield 71-70 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contest Friday night at the Hynes Center after a dramatic finish decided by free throws in the final seconds.
Iona opened the game with an 8-0 run, highlighted by a three-pointer from junior Denver Anglin on the first possession, a triple by Toby Harris and an inside score by CJ Anthony. The Gaels led 30-23 with 4:06 remaining in the first half before Fairfield narrowed the gap. Graduate Lamin Sabally converted a layup in the closing moments to give Iona a 35-34 halftime advantage.
The second half produced five lead changes and eight ties through the first 15:30 of play. Fairfield took a five-point lead after Halon Rawlins drained a three-pointer at the 4:30 mark. Iona answered by scoring six of the next seven points, knotting the score at 65-65 on a Harris three-pointer with 2:53 left.
CJ Anthony connected on a three-pointer to put Iona ahead 70-67 with 1:32 remaining. Fairfield’s Braden Sparks responded with his fifth three-pointer of the night to tie the game at 70-70. After Iona missed two opportunities to retake the lead, a foul sent Rawlins to the line with 3.3 seconds to play. Rawlins made the second of two free throws to give Fairfield a 71-70 edge. Iona’s desperation 40-foot heave at the buzzer rimmed out.
Both teams entered the contest with 14-9 overall records and 6-6 marks in MAAC play.
Anthony paced Iona with 20 points (5-for-14 field goals, 2-for-3 from three, 8-for-8 free throws), five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Harris added 14 points (5-for-12 field goals, 4 three-pointers). Anglin finished with 9 points, Akamentu 9 points, Sabally 8 points and Alliou Fall 7 points with six rebounds and three steals.
Sparks led all scorers with a season-high 27 points (11-for-21 field goals, 5 three-pointers) for Fairfield. Brandon Benjamin posted 13 points and 15 rebounds for a double-double, along with five assists, two steals and two blocks. Declan Wucherpfennig scored 16 points and Rawlins contributed 9 points with seven rebounds.
Iona shot 41.8 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three (10 made threes). Fairfield shot 41.5 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three. Fairfield dominated the glass 42-31, including a 21-11 edge on offensive rebounds, though Iona held a slim 12-10 advantage in second-chance points. Both teams committed 11 turnovers.
Iona returns to action Thursday at Siena with a 7 p.m. tipoff at MVP Arena in Albany, televised on ESPN.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.