Iona experiences reality check in MAAC opening loss to Quinnipiac

Lamin Sabally carried Iona in MAAC opener against Quinnipiac, but Gaels will need to turn page quickly with Sacred Heart on deck Sunday. (Photo by Nick Gualtiere/Iona Athletics)

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — With six wins in its first eight contests, Iona appeared to have started the year ahead of schedule, an accomplishment given that the Gaels were essentially fielding a new team for the third time in as many years.

But with the early optimism comes a dose of reality, and that is the fact that Iona is still finding its way before the midpoint of the season. So Friday’s 89-68 loss to Quinnipiac, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference lid-lifter for both sides, should be taken more as a teaching moment for the young Gaels than a letdown or disappointment.

“Obviously a tough one for us,” head coach Dan Geriot conceded. “Starting that second half the way we did (was) just a little unlike us. There’s a lot of learning and a lot of growing to come from this, and obviously, credit to (Quinnipiac). They came in with a lot of purpose and a lot of focus for what they were trying to do to us, and I thought it was a good experience for our group.”

“We saw a lot of the adjustments they were making, and that’s good for us to go through and experience. That was something that we’ll reflect on properly. It hasn’t affected us in a little while, but our after-miss offense was an issue.”

Iona, who received 27 points and 14 rebounds from Lamin Sabally in the losing effort, surrendered 18 offensive rebounds to Quinnipiac. The Gaels were also unable to effectively manage their transition game, something Geriot addressed postgame by calling out the unusual flow of the offense and locations of the players on the court, the latter being attributed to playing behind the basketball in a sense.

“When we were able to get stops and even string stops together, we’re so used to having that spurtability,” he remarked. “But the ball was ahead of the players a lot where usually, our spacing is a little bit more correct. Our rhythm was definitely an issue. It was disjointed, and the ball was in different parts of the court than we’re used to. I feel we got mindless with how we pitched the basketball, and then we were late to the pitches, which then gives you cutting lanes, which then gives you the rim.”

Fortunately for Iona, the Gaels can have a short memory, being able to potentially flush Friday’s loss with a trip to Sacred Heart to conclude the opening weekend of MAAC play. Like Iona, the Pioneers have a dynamic offense, but their defensive exploits have left much to be desired. Geriot admitted there would be ample time to reflect on what went wrong, but insists the aftereffects from the first conference opportunity of the year are not terminal.

“We’ll be alright,” he insisted. “We have a long, long season ahead of us. These early conference games seem to get a bit of a reaction, which is fine, but it’s on us — it’s on myself — to make sure that reaction isn’t overreaction. Had the tables been turned, I’d say the same thing. This is a big step in our process, but they all are. It’s just understanding our bigger picture of what we’re after and why we all chose to do this.”