For a team that has seemed to find different ways to lose over the past six games, the Gaels are still within striking distance of a solid position for MAAC Tournament play.
Entering this final regular season weekend the Gaels could start anywhere from second seed to seventh seed when the MAAC Tournament tips off in Springfield. Iona head coach Tim Cluess said that his message throughout this stretch has been to keep his players heads up as they get ready for the stretch run.
“We’re right there in games,” Cluess said. “We have to learn how to finish off games better and get better in different areas. We have as good a chance as any when the playoffs come.”
The Gaels have endured a difficult stretch where they have lost six of their last seven games, all by three points or less.
“It hasn’t been one thing that you can put your finger on,” Cluess said of the close losses. “I think our biggest thing is the last couple of games our guys are almost trying to do more than they need to do to try to win so it leads to a mistake.”
“A guy late in the game goes for a steal when all he had to do was be solid. I think he went for the steal because he wants to win so badly that he tried to do something he normally doesn’t do and it ends up biting us again. I’m not faulting my guys they’re playing with a ton of effort. We just have to keep our heads late and just try to execute a little bit better and hope luck changes a little bit.”
Luck has not been on the Gaels side during this recent stretch of close losses. Marist’s Chavaughn Lewis hit a desparation shot to tie Iona in overtime and eventually prevailed 105-104 in double overtime. Fairfield’s Derek Needham and Indiana State’s Jake Odum got found separation to make open three pointers late to give their teams victories of 66-64 and 65-64 respectively over the Gaels.
“One game it’s foul shots the other game it’s a 70-footer, another game is ball bouncing off a missed shot that comes flying out to the three point line, another game it’s someone being run into on a three point shot, so it’s just basketball plays,” Cluess said. “We’re getting good offensive sets when we get the ball and for the most part we’re playing good defense but did we get the offensive rebound or they get it.”
“We lost two games on foul shot box outs and we practice that all the time but reality is their kid is bigger, stronger and the ball bounced longer. If the ball doesn’t bounce as long we’ve got the ball, game’s over so it’s a combination of a lot of things and it’s all coming down to the last 60 seconds but we’re not losing the game in those 60 seconds.”
Iona has lost six of their last seven road games and are 6-12 in road combined with neutral court games this season.
“We shot the ball extremely poor on the year on the road,” Cluess said. “There’s a reason you’re losing close games it’s not just the last play. We were 2 for 16 from three in the Indiana State game so had we made a few shots, you’re not even talking about the last play of the game.”
“Our guys have to do what they’re supposed to do. They’ve got to put the ball in the basket a little bit and I think the guys are working at it pretty hard. They’re getting to the gym and they’re doing all the right things so I can’t ask for more of them I just want them to keep staying with it and keep working hard. I believe luck can change very quickly.”
The Gaels have a chance to break through with their final two home games against Loyola (MD) and Siena, two teams they beat on the road earlier this season. Cluess said he’s worried that during the losing skid the offense has been getting too stagnant at times, playing too much one on one basketball.
“Offensively I think we’re getting too stagnant and we need to share the ball better,” Cluess said. “We haven’t had the assists that we’re accustomed to having and that’s twofold. One because we’re not making shots off the pass and also because I don’t think we’re a passing it as well as we were passing it earlier in the year.”
“I think what happens is because we’re not making shots certain guys want to take the game over themselves and try to put more on their back and when that happens other guys start standing around so it’s kind of a situation that we have to work ourselves out of a little bit at a time.”
The Gaels luck could change quickly if junior Tre Bowman gets healthy and back in midseason form. Bowman, who has started 16 games this season, has been struggling his last two games back after missing one game due to injury. Cluess said on Wednesday that Bowman had his best practice in a few weeks and he hopes that the junior can get back on track and become another weapon in his arsenal again.
“I think we need him,” Cluess said. “He’s the guy who probably needs to get back to where he was prior to [his injury] in order for us to do anything here in the stretch drive.”
Cluess and his staff have had to continually adjust their roster throughout the year with the influx of injuries and illnesses.
“It’s been a season of tinkering because of all the injuries and illnesses that have effected our team but that’s no excuse,” Cluess said. “When you have a new team and they’re still trying to learn understand what you’re doing and then you have to tinker with it.”
“I think our guys are working at it very hard. That’s why we’ve been in the games lately even though we have not been playing well or shooting well but we’ve still managed to stay in games I think because we’ve been improved defensively and the guys are just playing with more of a passion.”
Iona closes out their home schedule this weekend with their final two home games and a chance to send off seniors MoMo Jones, Taaj Ridley, Nyandigisi Moikobu and Curtis Dennis with victories.
“They’re the reason we’ve been able to do what we have done the last couple of years here and they’ve given us the opportunity to put Iona back on the map,” Cluess said. “I’d like to see them to get back in a groove and go out the way they should go out, fighting and with a chance to win another tournament.”
Cluess said Moikobu may be back this weekend off of another injury, they are hopeful he will return to the rotation. Senior Curtis Dennis, who has been playing with torn cartilage in his knee, could also see some time this weekend.
“They’ve been very good leaders to all the new guys that have come here,” Cluess said. “They’ve left a mark on Iona and hopefully have some more left in them.”
Ryan Restivo covers the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for Big Apple Buckets. You can follow Ryan on Twitter @ryanarestivo.
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