ALBANY, NY (February 6, 2026) — Siena rallied from a double-digit deficit to defeat Iona 79-72 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Thursday at MVP Arena.
The Gaels led for nearly the entire first half, building a lead as large as 10 points while shooting 62.1 percent from the field and making 10 of 17 three-pointers. Iona took a 47-40 halftime advantage after Siena’s Justice Shoats hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
Siena opened the second half with a 13-0 run over five minutes to erase a 57-50 deficit, going 6-for-9 from the field during the spurt while Iona struggled offensively. The Gaels responded with a 10-2 surge, briefly regaining the lead on a tip-in by Alliou Fall with 5:37 remaining. Siena closed the game on a 12-5 run and sealed the victory with four free throws in the final 20 seconds.
Siena shot 52.5 percent overall compared to Iona’s 45.9 percent, though the Gaels made 14 of 31 three-pointers to the Saints’ 5 of 20. Siena held a 35-27 rebounding advantage, including 11-10 on the offensive glass, and outscored Iona 12-4 in second-chance points. Both teams had 16 assists and 12 turnovers, but Iona led 24-10 in points off turnovers. The Gaels shot 10 of 32 in the second half.
Gavin Doty led Siena with 25 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Francis Folefac added 17 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double, while Justice Shoats scored 18 points with 8-of-13 shooting, five assists and three steals.
For Iona, Toby Harris scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 6 of 9 from three-point range, with four rebounds and two steals. CJ Anthony had 14 points, five assists and two steals. Denver Anglin contributed 13 points with three three-pointers, and Kosy Akametu scored 10 points. Alliou Fall added four points, six rebounds, six assists and three blocks.
The loss dropped Iona to 14-10 overall and 6-7 in the MAAC. Siena improved to 17-7 overall and 10-3 in conference play.
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.