LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Rick Pitino’s Iona Gaels became the first team in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference history to beat an AP Top 10 team after beating 10th place Alabama 72-68 on Thursday night.
Nelly Junior Joseph and Walter Clayton Jr. made crucial free throws in the final seconds to lift Iona in the opening game at the ESPN Events Invitational.
Clayton had a strike back and made one of the two free throws to make it 70-68 with 20 seconds left. After Jahvon Quinerly missed a shot for Alabama, Joseph won by two free throws with 9 seconds remaining.
MAAC teams are currently drawing 1-119 in matches against AP Top 10 teams. Pitino has now beaten a top 10 team at four different schools (Providence, Kentucky, Louisville, Iona).
Tyson Jolly got 13 points, Elijah Joiner 12 and Quinn Slazinski 11 for Iona (6-0). Alabama (4-1) gets 19 points from Jaden Shackelford. Quinerly added 15.
Joiner hit a 3 to put Iona up to 69-65, but Shackelford connected from long range to make it a one point game with 56 seconds to pass.
Joseph made two free throws in 11-3 to give Iona a 59-57 advantage. Alabama’s Darius Miles Responding with a combination, Jolly hit three to put Iona ahead 62-59 in the 4th minute. Shackelford’s 3 gave Alabama a 54-48 lead.
Iona won even though the second half lasted 4 ½ minutes without scoring. Alabama took the lead 33-29 in the first half, taking the lead in the first 20 minutes.
The win was seen as revenge for the Gaels, who lost to Alabama in the first round of last season’s NCAA Tournament.
Iona will play in Friday’s semi-final against the winner of Belmont-Drake while Alabama falls into the consolation ring to face the loser of that game.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this story.
