By Paul Gotham
ST. BONAVENTURE, NY — Using a barrage of three-point field goals the Iona Gaels pounded the St. Bonaventure Bonnies in a New Year’s Eve matinee
Sean Armand and Lamont “Momo” Jones led one of the nation’s top offenses to a 93-74 non-conference on Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center, Monday afternoon.
“I’m just proud of my team’s effort,” said Iona head coach Tim Cluess. “They played as hard as they could on both ends of the floor. They shared the ball on offense. They defended together. They talked.”
Armand and Jones combined for 23 first-half points as the Gaels grabbed a nine-point lead before the half, but that just proved to be an opening act for the main feature.
The Gaels hit eight of their first ten shots behind the three-point arc in the second half and never looked back. Armand connected on five attempts from long range while A.J. English hit his first two three-point attempts.
“We can get going,” Cluess said when asked about his team’s second half shooting performance. “At times we are a little bit streaky. The ball flowed better, and we shared the ball in transition.”
After the Bonnies scored nine straight to make it a one-possession affair, the Gaels kicked it into another gear.
Armand took a Tavon Sledge pass and drained his first trifecta. David Laury used a spin dribble to create space for a basket. Jones followed and knocked down a trey on an inside-out pass from Taaj Ridley for a 50-42 lead and an SBU timeout.
“Lately, we’ve been working a lot on shooting,” Jones remarked. “Coach has been emphasizing on getting our shot back. Everybody is taking heed to it.”
Ridley scored, and Laury pushed the lead to 11 with four straight before Armand took command.
The 6-4 guard hit a catch-and-shoot 3 from Jones. He followed with a screen and step back for another triple. He assisted on a pair of English triples and drilled another of his own for a 71-55 Iona lead.
“The guys are looking for me. My teammates know I get going quick,” Armand commented. “It’s just the rhythm of the game. Open shots make open shots. Thanks to Momo or Dave, and I’m taking ’em.”
Armand’s catch-and-shoot three midway through the first half gave Iona an advantage they never surrendered at 18-15. The junior guard followed with another jumper off a down screen and UCLA cut to catch and hit from above the free throw line. Jones stretched the lead to seven with a pair of free throws.
Armand found Jones with a diagonal pass in transition for a quick trey and a 25-17 Iona lead.
The Gaels took their largest lead of the half when Taaj Ridley grabbed a loose ball and hit Tavon Sledge ahead of the defense for a dunk and 36-22 Iona lead.
“Jones and Armand are tremendous players,” said St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt. “We knew it was going to be a tough game. They played their A game. We played our C game. That’s what happens. We missed a lot of layups early, and that fed into their offensive game.”
St. Bonaventure’s bench helped cut into the lead.
Chris Johnson, slowed by an ailing back, finished a drive from the top of the key. Jordan Gathers drew a goaltending call and hit a jumper in the lane to cut the lead to 10. Demtrius Conger nailed a three for the 40-31 halftime score.
The Bonnies led early. Michael Davenport took a Kloof pass and nailed a three. Kloof followed his own miss on the next possession for a 5-2 SBU lead.
After a Sledge layup and a pair of Laury free throws, Kloof found Davenport curling into the lane for a jumper and a 7-6 Bona edge.
Mosley knocked down a trey over the Iona zone for a 12-11 St. Bonaventure edge. It was the last lead of the day for the Brown and White.
St. Bonaventure made it a one-possession game early in the second stanza.
Conger finished an up-and-under move in the paint. Kloof used an upfake on the arc to set up a drive and layup. Then the junior point guard found Davenport for a trifecta whittling the lead to 42-38.
Iona called a timeout, but the Marquise Simmons stole a pass on the next possession. Jones was forced to lunge out of bounds and try to feed Laury in the post when Simmons got into between the Iona teammates. The Bonaventure forward completed the play at the opposite end grabbing a loose ball and finishing.
Iona led 42-40. It was as close as Bona got for the rest of the afternoon.
“They started hitting threes,” Schmidt explained. “It took the fight out of us. Give them credit. They played well. Every time we tried to make something, they hit a big three.”
Iona hit 52.5 percent (31-59) from the field including 48.1 percent (13-27) behind the arc.
“You hit a shot or two, and the rim looks bigger to you,” Cluess said.
Armand finished with a game-high 27 on 8-of-19 shooting from the floor and 7-of-14 from long range.
Jones added 23 going 7-of-11 and 3-of-5 behind the arc.
Ridley added 13 and English had 11.
Laury had 13 including nine in the second half in just his fourth game for the Gaels. After transferring to Iona in the Spring 2012, Laury sat out per NCAA transfer requirements.
“Dave was more active in the second half,” Cluess noted. “In the first half I though he was kind of invisible. He came to life in the second half, and then created decision-making on the other team’s part.”
The 93 Iona points was the most allowed at home by the Bonnies since 1998.
Iona led the nation last year with 83.3 points per game. Their 81.9 points rank 11th currently.
Conger was one off his career high with 26 points. The senior forward hit 9-of-16 from the perimeter and all seven of his free throws.
Johnson chipped in with nine while Davenport and Gathers each had eight.
Bona starter, Matthew Wright, did not play due to an injured foot.
The Bonnies fall to 7-5 with the loss. SBU’s next game is on the road at Colorado State, January fifth. The Bonnies open A-10 play on the road at George Washington, January ninth.
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