Iona Prep Earns Road Win at Xaverian 57-55

    Sophomore R.J. Greene finished with a game high 23 points and classmate Isaac Gonzalez added 15 to lead Iona Prep to an impressive 57-55 road win over Xaverian last night.

     With the Gaels trailing by 4, Greene hit a long three-point basket to close the first half and draw his team to within 30-29 as they headed into intermission. They then blitzed the Clippers with an 8-0 burst out of the locker room that included 2 triples by Greene and Aidan Hilderbrand sandwiched around a tough drive by senior Keyshawn Jones. They outscored the Clippers 20-7 in the third period to take a 12-point lead into the final quarter. Early buckets by Greene and Jones pushed the margin to as many as 14 points before Xaverian could regain the traction they lost in what was ultimately a decisive third period. They rallied behind Nick Folk who finished with a team high 17 points and Billy Reyes who added 13 to pull to within 2 points with 2.5 seconds left. They then ran a bit of mis-direction to get Folk a look at corner trey but Folk rushed the shot and the Gales had their big win.

   While Iona Prep’s archrival Stepinac is considered by many to be a prohibitive favorite the Gaels demonstrated that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the New York Archdiocese and the CHSAA.  R.J. Greene showed terrific scoring ability at all 3 levels while Gonzalez played with tremendous poise from start to finish; making sure to get Greene and his teammates involved but showing a fine scoring touch in his own right. Add in senior Jones, whose 8 points all came at key times and Hilderbrand who overcame early foul trouble to help the early 3^rd quarter rally and Iona Prep has the makings of a terrific core.  That plus a number of other players who did not contribute big numbers but played a key part in what was a strong defensive effort in the second half and the Gales have the look of a young team that’s already strong and figures to get better as the season progresses.

       Xaverian, who were coming off an impressive tournament win in Maryland last weekend, had gotten off to a hot-shooting start behind Folk and Reyes but seemingly could not sustain the energy they played with in the first period. Once Iona Prep, lead by Greene found their rhythm on offense they made a strong 1^st half close and then established and sustained a comfortable margin until the game’s closing moments.  Perhaps the best news for the Clippers is the quick return to action they will make on Sunday against Bishop Loughlin. Iona’s win was impressive to be sure and the Clippers got a reminder of how tough league play can be in the CHSAA.