Who’s playing
Harvard Crimson @Iona Gaels
Current records: Harvard 3-8, Iona 4-8
How to watch
What you need to know
The Iona Gaels and Harvard Crimson will close out the year against each other at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday at the Hynes Athletics Center. The Crimson suffered a loss in their last game and will look to turn things around against the Gaels, who are coming off a win.
Iona come into the game heading into the match as their difficult season has now been buoyed by two straight wins. They won against Colgate by a score of 79-73 on Sunday.
Among those leading the charge was DeJour Reaves, who nearly had a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds. He struggled to find his feet against Rice on Dec. 1, so this was a step in the right direction. The team also received help from Yaphet Moundi, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 13 points plus five rebounds.
Iona broke the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds (they are ranked second in total offensive rebounds per game). This strong performance was nothing new for the team: they have now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in 12 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Harvard couldn’t handle Furman on Saturday and lost 77-63.
Iona’s win ended a five-game road drought dating back to last season and puts them at 4-8. As for Harvard, their loss dropped their record to 3-8.
Sunday’s game is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Iona has been breaking the glass this season, averaging 37.6 rebounds per game. It’s a different story for Harvard, as they only have a GPA of 32.5. Given Iona’s considerable advantage in this area, Harvard will need to find a way to close this gap.
Iona defeated Harvard 69-60 in their previous matchup in December 2023. Does Iona have another win up its sleeve, or will Harvard turn things around? We’ll have the answer soon enough.
History of the series
Iona has won both matches it has played against Harvard in the last 3 years.
- December 30, 2023 – Iona 69 vs. Harvard 60
- November 13, 2021 – Iona 90 vs. Harvard 87
