MAAC Championships Day 3: Iona Outlasts Manhattan, Mount St. Mary’s Makes History Against Marist

Published: Friday, March 14, 2025

by CJ Weipz

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Iona and Mount St. Mary’s advanced to the semifinals of the MAAC Championships after the Gaels defeated Manhattan, 77-65, and the Mountaineers upset Marist, 62-58.

The night began with two cross-town rivals trading blows for most of the matchup. Iona relied on its size and elite guard play to hold off Manhattan’s high-octane offense. First Team All-MAAC selection Dejour Reaves led the Gaels with 26 points and was aided by a career-high 25 points from Yaphet Moundi.

The Gaels got out to a hot start against John Gallagher and company, opening the evening on a 16-6 run through the first few minutes. Moundi and Masiah Gilyard got things going down low with some early buckets, while Reaves began his strong night from beyond the arc with a step-back 3-pointer.

The Jaspers couldn’t be held down for long, responding with a 21-7 scoring run to close the half, led by Wesley Robinson and Shaquil Bender, who combined for 16 of the team’s 33 first-half points. Bender knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to help spark the comeback.

The second half was more of the same, but the Jaspers and their top-ranked conference offense couldn’t find an answer for the Gaels’ duo of Reaves and Moundi. Iona held Manhattan to just 32.8% shooting from the field and 19.4% from 3-point range for the game en route to its first MAAC Semifinal appearance since Rick Pitino was at the helm. 

Game 2 of the night featured a shorthanded Mount St. Mary’s squad taking down a struggling Marist team, 62-58, in a barnburner that included multiple long scoring droughts from both sides.

The Mountaineers were without star sharpshooter and league leader in 3-point percentage Carmelo Pacheco, who is sidelined with a broken finger, but still found a way to get the job done. 

All-Conference forward Dola Adebayo was the catalyst for the Mount, dominating early at Boardwalk Hall with eight points, five rebounds, and two blocks in the first half.

The Red Foxes couldn’t find a rhythm offensively, with unanimous First Team All-MAAC selection Josh Pascarelli held to just five points in the first half on 2-for-9 shooting. Marist also failed to capitalize on eight offensive rebounds, finishing the half with zero second-chance points.

The second half fared a bit better for Marist down the stretch. The Red Foxes chipped away at the Mountaineers’ lead, cutting it to two points with under four minutes to play. The comeback ultimately fell short, as clutch buckets by Malik Adebayo and Xavier Lipscomb lifted the Mountaineers past Marist, sending them to their first MAAC Semifinal appearance in program history.

The Gaels will face Quinnipiac in the first semifinal matchup on Friday at 6 p.m. Mount St. Mary’s will face Merrimack in the nightcap at 8:30 p.m.

CJ Weipz is an Assistant Sports Director at WSOU 89.5 FM and can be reached at christopher.weipz@student.shu.edu. 

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