Saint Peter’s up to challenge of ending Iona dynasty

Shaheen Holloway’s second season at Saint Peter’s faces biggest test yet Wednesday, when Peacocks look to end Iona’s four-year championship reign. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Vincent Simone (@VTSimone)

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — If Saint Peter’s wants to reach the 2020 NCAA Tournament, its first task will be to accomplish something that hasn’t been done in five years:

Hand Iona a loss in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. 

Iona made history last March when it became the first program to capture four consecutive MAAC tournament titles, and as the Gaels’ attempt to add to their history, their path once more goes through Shaheen Holloway and Saint Peter’s.

The Gaels have taken down the Peacocks en route to each of their last three titles, but the last two meetings have come down to the wire. Last season, Saint Peter’s nearly ended Iona’s dynasty in the quarterfinals, but Davauhnte Turner – an 80 percent free throw shooter – missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with the Peacocks trailing by one in the waning seconds.

In 2018, under previous head coach John Dunne, Saint Peter’s saw a 14-point lead early in the second half of a semifinal matchup quickly evaporate as they surrendered 45 points over the final 20 minutes in an eventual 65-62 loss to the Gaels.

Iona’s last conference tournament loss came March 9, 2015 in the championship game against Manhattan. The Gaels haven’t lost prior to the championship game since 2012, when Fairfield upended Iona in the semifinals prior to the Gaels ultimately receiving just the second at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in MAAC history. History says the underdog stands more than a fair chance Wednesday night, but this Saint Peter’s team is trying to make some history of its own. 

Since 1997, only one team has made the NCAA Tournament without a double-digit scorer on its roster: South Florida in 2012. However, that squad had three players averaging at least nine points per game, paced by leading scorer Augustus Gilchrist at 9.5.

Sophomore forward KC Ndefo – Saint Peter’s leading scorer – averages just 8.5 points per game, so it’s safe to say Holloway’s team is entering uncharted waters on its march to a MAAC title.

In a day and age where high-scoring stars dominate the spotlight in both the NBA and college ranks, Holloway has shaped a squad dominated by underclassmen into a selfless unit and one of the MAAC’s top teams.

“We have 11, 12 guys that get out there every single day,” Holloway said of his team. “No one cares about who gets the attention or the headlines. I think that’s been our thing all year. We’re going to continue to keep doing that as long as I’m the coach here.” 

After staggering to a 6-12 league record in his first season at the helm, Holloway — a former Iona assistant before following Kevin Willard to Seton Hall — improved the Peacocks to a 14-6 league mark and second place in the MAAC this year. If he wasn’t already viewed as one of the brightest rising stars in college coaching, ending the Iona dynasty would be a bold statement on Holloway’s résumé. 

Proving without a doubt the future is bright in Jersey City, the Peacocks’ three top scorers behind Ndefo are all freshmen. Aaron Estrada (8.0 ppg), Daryl Banks III (7.9 ppg), and Doug Edert (7.7 ppg) were each named to the All-MAAC Rookie Team this week, with Estrada joining Ndefo on the All-MAAC Third Team as well.

“These guys come into practice every single day and they give me everything I ask for,” Holloway added. “They give me their heart and soul, and that’s all a coach can ask for.”

Over the last 10 years, the Iona-Saint Peter’s matchup has been the MAAC’s most underrated rivalry. Perhaps that is because the overall record favors the Gaels 17-6 over that span, but historically Saint Peter’s deliberate, defensive style under Dunne — and now, Holloway — has clashed impressively against Iona’s uptempo offensive game under Tim Cluess and this year’s acting head coach, Tra Arnold.

This season marked the first time since 2009 Saint Peter’s swept the season series from the Gaels, but those two victories came by a combined four points.

As Holloway’s star continues to rise and the Peacocks stare history in the face, the latest clash of styles is sure to bring plenty of sparks to the Atlantic City boardwalk.