Harris’ last-second three steals win for Iona, ends Gaels’ skid

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Toby Harris grew up a North Carolina fan in his hometown of Durham, and remembers one particular moment in Tar Heel history quite well.

In the 2017 South Regional final, UNC advanced to the Final Four after Luke Maye’s jumper in the final seconds broke a 70-all tie and continued the redemption story that ended with an eighth national championship banner being raised in Chapel Hill.

Nearly nine years later, Harris — who plays a role for his Iona team similar to the one Maye filled under Roy Williams — got to replicate that iconic moment to an extent.

Trailing by two points with 12 seconds remaining, the Gaels had a chance to tie or win the game at the buzzer after Merrimack’s Ernest Shelton missed the front end of a 1-and-1. CJ Anthony secured the rebound and drove into the lane to find Lamin Sabally at the center of Merrimack’s 2-3 zone. Sabally then found an open Harris in the left corner, who pump-faked, took one step, then fired from beyond the 3-point arc and splashed the game-winning triple with 1.1 seconds left to give Iona a 61-60 victory after the Warriors could not get a final shot off.

“Obviously (with) no timeouts left, they told us to push the pace against the zone,” Harris recounted. “I really couldn’t tell what defense they were in, but I’m pretty sure it was their zone. Lamin got it in the middle and as a shooter, you’re always taught to find a window. I think the scout is out, so everyone’s flying, so shot fake and reload. Big win for us.”

The Gaels (13-8, 5-5 MAAC) could have easily gone inside and played for overtime, but Harris had other ideas.

“It’s a good question,” he admitted. “I think in this type of environment, the way we were playing, when (Shelton) missed that free throw, you always go for the win in that scenario.”

“We got caught ball watching,” Merrimack head coach Joe Gallo conceded. “(Sabally) made a great pass. It looked like (Harris) was just gonna take a tough shot, and he still had to shot fake and sidestep to get it off, but it was just a really good shot by a really good player.”

Gallo’s counterpart revealed he had a play designed for Harris regardless of the free throw outcome.

“We had a play for a three for Toby whether they made or missed,” Dan Geriot explained. “We thought (Shelton) was going to make the first, at least, so when he missed the first, the other play off a missed first was for Lamin to run right to the middle of the zone.”

“Our spacing there was different because (Chase) Cormier was in the game, and that kind of shifted their bumps. We kind of put two shooters on that side and tried to make them make a play, and then Lamin, the decision maker that he is, made a good one. Something about that left corner step-back three for the Gaels this year, obviously a great play for Toby. I’m really, really happy for him.”

Merrimack (12-9, 8-2 MAAC) came into Thursday’s contest tied for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference lead with Saint Peter’s, who dealt the Warriors their lone previous conference loss on January 11 in Jersey City. But Iona never trailed by more than five points, and rode the hot hand of Denver Anglin, who scored 19 of his 22 points in the first half, to stay within two of the visitors at halftime.

“(Anglin) kept us in it the whole game,” Harris gushed. “So if anyone should be thanked, it’s him. We’re a team that fights, and I think that’s what we showed today. Honestly, I could have gone 0-for-15 tonight, and if we won, I probably would have been the happiest guy on the floor. I think that’s just the type of team we are.”

“I just feel he’s so clear right now,” Geriot said of Anglin. “I feel him in this organization, I really do, and I think it’s starting to pay off. Our routine’s not for everybody. You gotta really be obsessed, you gotta be a little bit crazy upstairs to be good here, you know what I mean? I think we found that with him, and we’re chomping at the bit to keep going.”

The Gaels did just that in the final stanza, regaining the initiative as threes from Harris and Anglin keyed a 7-0 run midway through the second half. Merrimack fought back one more time with a 10-2 spurt to swing the pendulum in their favor as Kevair Kennedy (23 points, eight rebounds) furthered his MAAC Player of the Year candidacy by willing the Warriors to the lead. After a pair of Andres Marrero free throws afforded the Warriors a 60-56 margin, Iona quickly cut that in half on a Sabally dunk before sending Shelton to the line and setting the stage for the final sequence.

“We got punched,” a candid Gallo said. “But (Iona) played a heck of a game. We really had to fight to get back in it, we took the four-point lead, and I probably should have called a timeout just to slow the ball up and set up our defense. But Anthony made a great drive, and you saw the last shot. We lost Harris, which is obviously a guy you can’t lose.”

Merrimack now sets its sights on a rematch with Saint Peter’s this Saturday, this one on its home floor. For the victorious Gaels, the win is not only a confidence boost after a two-game losing streak for the first time this year, it also gets the season back on track halfway through the MAAC slate.

“It’s huge just because we lost these last two in a row,” Anglin said. “So our approach in practice leading up to this game was just emphasizing how important this one was. We came out today, we fought, and we got the win.”