Box Score NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Iona scored the final seven points all from the free throw line in the final two minutes of overtime to come away with a 68-61 victory against Saint Peter's in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men's basketball action on Saturday.
After Quadir Welton (Philadelphia, Pa./Math, Civics and Science Charter) tied the game at 61, Ibn Muhammad gave the Gaels (16-8, 9-2 MAAC) a one-point lead after making the first of two free throws at the two-minute mark in the extra session. The Peacocks (10-13, 4-8 MAAC) had two offensive opportunities to retake the lead, but could not convert. A.J. English, Kelvin Amayo and Muhammad each made two free throws in the final 27 seconds to seal the victory.
Desi Washington (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) paced Saint Peter's with 18 points while Marvin Dominique (Miramar, Fla./Miramar) posted 17 points and 10 rebounds and Tyler Gaskins (Roswell, Ga./Centennial) chipped in 14 points in the loss.
Dominique eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau with 7.1 seconds left in regulation after a made free throw. The senior, who played two seasons at Fordham, has posted 829 of his 1,002 points in a Peacocks uniform.
English powered Iona with 21 points while David Laury added 18 points and 13 rebounds while Amayo registered six points and 11 rebounds in the winning effort.
Iona rallied from a four-point margin in the final 25.1 seconds of regulation to force overtime and then scored the final seven points to stay unbeaten at the Hynes Center this season and win its 15th-straight game in New Rochelle dating back to last year.
After Muhammad gave the Gaels a 48-47 advantage on a triple with 2:03 left in regulation, Washington converted two technical foul shots and Trevis Wyche (Neptune, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) made two free throws with 1:29 on the clock for a 51-48 margin.
After English made two free throws with 50.8 seconds left to make it a one-point game, Washington was fouled in the process of attempting a basket from behind the arc and made all three charity tosses with 25.1 seconds left for a 54-50 lead.
Washington caused a steal off an English turnover on the Gaels ensuing possession, but English got the ball right back on the inbounds play and drained a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to trim the margin to 56-55.
Dominique then made the second of two free throws with 7.1 seconds left to restore a two-point advantage, but Iona hustled down the court and English found Amayo under the basket with 0.6 seconds left to tie the game at 57 and force overtime.
English got the scoring started in overtime with a jumper at 4:49 before Dominique drained a pair with 4:25 on the clock to even the score at 59. Laury and Welton traded baskets inside before the Gaels scored the final seven points to earn the win.
Each team went on a double-digit run in the first half, but at the end of the half both teams went into the locker room deadlocked at 25.
After Laury started the scoring in the game with a layup at 19:31, Saint Peter's scored the next 13 points to take a 13-2 advantage with 13:52 left in the first half.
Gaskins started the spurt with a trey at 18:21 before Welton scored in the lane at 17:15 for a 5-2 edge. After Wyche hit a triple at 16:43, Dominique then slammed one home at 15:50 and Washington drained a triple at 13:52 for a 13-2 advantage.
Each team then scored six straight to maintain an 11-point margin. After Welton scored in the lane at 3:36, Iona went on an 11-0 run to tie the game at 23.
Jeylani Dublin opened the run with a layup at 3:19 before Laury (2:41), English (2:14) and Casmir (1:45) each knocked down 3-pointers to even the score at 23. Both teams scored a basket in the final minute to go into the break tied at 25.
The Peacocks started the second half by scoring nine of the first 12 points to take a 34-28 advantage with 14:26 remaining thanks to five points from Gaskins.
Iona then went on a 7-0 run to grab a 35-34 edge with 9:52 after two English freebies. English had five of the seven points in the stretch. The game was nip and tuck until the final two minutes of the game when Saint Peter's took a four-point lead with 25.1 seconds left only to see the Gaels come back to tie the game, force overtime and win its fourth straight against the Peacocks.
It marked the second straight exciting tilt between the two teams after English nailed a trey with 0.7 seconds left to give the Gaels a 62-59 victory on Feb. 12, 2014.
Welton finished the game with seven points, seven rebounds and three assists while Wyche posted five points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals for Saint Peter's.
Dominique notched his fourth double-double of the season and 16th of his career and the first since tallying 22 points and 10 rebounds against Boston University on Dec. 3.
The Peacocks held Iona under 70 points for the first time this season.
After winning its first two overtime games this season, the Jersey City has lost the last two extra session games. The squad has played four overtime games for the first time since the 2005-06 season. It is the second-most overtime games played in one season after the 1984-85 team played in five extra session contests. The squad has played four overtime games six times in program history (1978-79, 1985-87, 1988-89, 1989-90, 2003-04, 2014-15).
Saint Peter's returns to action on Feb. 7 at home against Fairfield. Game time is 2 p.m. It marks the first meeting since Washington hit three game-winning 3-pointers in the final 3.3 seconds of the game against the Stags last year to gain national recognition on ESPN.
