Laury scores 20, grabs 17 rebounds as Iona beats Niagara 79-73 to reach MAAC final
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David Laury scored 20 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as Iona eliminated top-seeded Niagara 79-73 Sunday in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament semifinals.
Laury's jumper with 9:18 remaining started a 10-2 run that gave the fourth-seeded Gaels (19-13) a 70-61 lead at the 6:37 mark. The sophomore forward also sank two free throws after Juan'ya Green's layup brought the Purple Eagles (19-13) to within 70-67 with just under 3 minutes left.
Lamont Jones added 17 points, Taaj Ridley had 16 and Sean Armand 13 for Iona, which split two games against Niagara during the regular season.
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The Gaels now have won four in a row after losing six of seven games by a combined total of 11 points.
Antoine Mason scored 21 points to lead Niagara, which was hurt by erratic 3-point shooting. The Purple Eagles were 7 of 33 behind the arc, including 0 of 7 by Green.