Iona defeats Monmouth 79-76 to win MAAC Tournament

Iona rallied in the second half to defeat Monmouth and its infamous bench mob to walk away as the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Champions. Senior guard A.J. English led the Gaels with 19 points, while junior Jordan Washington chipped in 15 points and 13 rebounds to help Iona complete the underdog story.

Monmouth had been the story of the MAAC all season long, with the Hawks’ bench players becoming an overnight national sensation with their exuberant celebrations from the sidelines following clutch baskets. Monmouth also won the MAAC regular season championship, so all of the momentum was indeed on its side.

But fate clearly had Iona in its plans, and now the Gaels have their ninth ever MAAC championship to show for it. Iona will now head to the NCAA Tournament next week, for the first time since 2013. The Gaels have never gotten past the first round but with all of the parity this year, anything is possible.

Stay tuned to Campus Sports for further updates on Iona’s tournament journey!

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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports

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