Iona’s versatility on display as Gaels survive upset-minded Bryant

Dan Geriot and Iona sit 8-3 after Wednesday’s win over Bryant. (Photo by Jaden Daly/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Iona’s first season under Dan Geriot has been marked by a number of firsts, but also several signs of growth.

For a team still fairly new to one another, milestones and progress go hand in hand, but the manner in which the Gaels have put their 8-3 record together has only served to heighten the uniqueness about them.

Wednesday’s 69-63 win over Bryant, who kept pace with the Gaels by making timely outside shots, showcased a team that was able to successfully adapt to a close game for the first time since fending off Fordham in November. What makes this result even more significant is the slow pace by which it came, a 65-possession affair that is well below Iona’s desired tempo. On their way to victory, the Gaels held Bryant to 0.97 points per possession, the fourth time already that an opposing team has failed to reach the 1.00 mark against Iona.

“We trusted our defense,” forward Toby Harris remarked. “Holding (Bryant) to 63 points is huge for us. We continue to find ways to win, that’s what we do.”

Geriot admitted that while he would have preferred a more comfortable win, the actual result proves to be more beneficial for the program’s longer-term aspirations.

“I think that’s better for our reflection,” the first-year coach said. “Obviously it’d be great to win by like, 25 or whatever, but I think the whole thing of you play a team that holds us to 65 possessions, the last time we were that low was against Green Bay, and we didn’t like that result. So now, I think we’ve found some answers, we’ve found some solutions for ourselves. We go through it, we reflect differently, and we keep pushing.”

Iona’s unmatched trust in one another, teammates and coaches combined, also manifested again Wednesday. More often than not, it takes weeks — sometimes months — before the full contingent can get on the same page, schematically and stylistically. But to senior guard CJ Anthony, the hours behind the scenes with which he and his fellow Gaels devote to strengthening that bond has only expedited the process.

“I just think it’s something we’re just working on every day,” he said of the trust factor. “I don’t think it’ll ever get to a point where we don’t want it to be, but as long as we just keep going at it and keep believing in each other, where every play’s the next play and not let one thing hold us back, I feel like the sky’s the limit for us where we could take this thing.”

The latest beneficiary of that trust was Harris. The Division III transfer lived up to his reputation as a clutch shot maker Wednesday, collecting all of his 18 points from beyond the three-point line as he recorded six triples to neutralize Bryant’s outside shooting and propel Iona to separation on the scoreboard when it was sorely needed. Harris was able to use his frame to his advantage even without the ball in his hands, a skill that translated to a major impact and a critical win.

“I think his size and his shooting is so great that when he gets involved as a screener, it’s very hard to find him and understand where he’s going,” Geriot said. “We’re trying to loosen that up a bit. For us, it’s a luxury, and for him, it’s such a great opportunity. He knows what he’s after, he knows how we’re built, he knows what handlers he’s playing with a good amount. I’m glad he was able to turn in a positive experience.”

Iona’s next opponent, a ranked St. John’s team, is unlike anything this Gaels team has seen thus far this season. But as Geriot and his players prepare to enter a hostile environment at Madison Square Garden Saturday, the mix of having to face different styles and survive different types of games already will prove to be a boon moving forward.

“It’s interesting to be in different grinds,” Geriot concurred. “We’ve been in 75-pace games, 65-pace games, and that’s why we have all these modes that we like to go to. I think they’re beginning to commit to it together, and with so much season left, I love that for them and I love where we’re going.”