By James Kassan (@JamesKassan4)
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Ten lead changes, 30 combined turnovers and a back-and-forth battle took place inside the Mack Sports Complex on Friday night, as the Iona Gaels tried to play spoiler on banner night for Hofstra, ultimately falling in overtime, 62-59.
These two teams have met in each of the last seven seasons, turning the matchup into a mid-major battle and a possible rivalry between two highly-touted programs. This contest lived up to expectations, with back-and-forth play and even five minutes of overtime basketball. Who wouldn’t sign up for that?
“We love this rivalry,” Iona head coach Dan Geriot said. “The teams are pretty well matched, and we’re all navigating this new era. For us, it’s a great deal. I looked forward to it last year, and I looked forward to it this year. Looking forward to continuing it.”
Both teams, as mid-major programs, deal with many of the same challenges and consequences that come with NIL and the transfer portal. Geriot and Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton have both gone through tremendous roster turnover from a year ago, with Iona bringing back four players and Hofstra returning just three.
The Gaels fought hard Friday night, battling back and forth throughout the first half. Iona scored just 20 points on 6-of-24 shooting before halftime and struggled from beyond the arc, making just one of 10 attempts from 3-point range. Despite that, it remained a close battle through the first 20 minutes and would stay that way for the entire night. Iona found itself trailing by just two points heading into the locker room and came out looking like the better team in the second half, holding the Pride to empty possessions during the opening minutes.
It was also an impressive second half for senior guard Kevon Vanderhorst. After a quiet first half, Vanderhorst came alive after the break, scoring 13 of his team-leading 15 points in the final 20 minutes.
You won’t see many teams turn the ball over 17 times and come away victorious. But so early in the 2026 season, this will surely be a learning experience for a team still trying to figure out its identity, with many players playing together for the first time.
“Hard loss for us on the road,” Geriot said. “I really thought we competed and had an opportunity to win the game. I think our margins showed up for us with our missed free throws at the end of the game and then a couple layup attempts that needed to go our way. I thought our defense did a really great job rebounding. There are different things we need to look at and grow from. Early in the season, you want to get that road win when you have those opportunities, so you’ve got to learn from that.”
Geriot is in just his second season at the helm in New Rochelle. His first season ended with a loss to Sacred Heart in the first round of the MAAC tournament. This year’s team could have its eyes set on greener pastures, and while losing a game like Friday’s in overtime is a gut punch, especially with the Gaels now having lost three straight, there are positives to take away.
Iona will have to learn from these early-season challenges and become a more battle-tested team because of them. The Gaels will look to regroup and end their losing streak on the road against UMBC in the finale of the America East-Metro Challenge on Monday, with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
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