NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association announced 2021 Division I Men's Basketball awards on Tuesday, April 27. The Iona College men's basketball program has a pair of honorees with Isaiah Ross being named to the All-MET First Team and Asante Gist on the All-MET Second Team.
ISAIAH ROSS
Ross started in all 18 games for the Gaels and led the Maroon & Gold and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game. The 2020-21 All-MAAC First Team honoree shot 38.3% from beyond the arc and 45.5% overall from the floor. Making 2.6 three-pointers per game, Ross also took advantage of his trips to the stripe with an 81.2% free throw percentage.
Ross scored in double figures in all but two games during Iona's 2020-21 season. He had three games this season with 30+ points, including a career-best 33 points against Hofstra (Dec. 5). Ross scored 19 points in the Gaels' NCAA Tournament game against No. 2 Alabama.
During the season Ross was voted the MAAC Player of the Week three times. He is the seventh player in program history to be named MAAC Player of the Week at least three times in a single season. Ross was also named a finalist for the Lou Henson award, which is given to the top mid-major player in the country.
Iona has now had a representative on the All-MET First Team for three straight seasons: Rickey McGill in 2019, E.J. Crawford in 2020 and Ross in 2021.
Ross' 39.4% career three-point percentage with Iona sits just outside the top-10 in program history.
ASANTE GIST
Gist appeared in 16 games and made 14 starts during the 2020-21 championship campaign. The Preseason All-MAAC selection made his presence known in the postseason, where he garnered MAAC All-Championship Team and Most Outstanding Performer honors in Atlantic City.
During Iona's run to a fifth straight MAAC Tournament Championship, Gist averaged 16.3 points per game. The East Orange, New Jersey native shot 43.5% from the floor during the Maroon & Gold's four-game stretch. He also hit 25-of-26 from the free throw line, including a perfect 10-for-10 against the Siena Saints in the quarterfinals.
Gist ranked second on the team, averaging 13.4 points per game. He was second on the team, shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc and first in assists, distributing 3.6 per game.
Gist had a team-best 11 made free throws on 13 attempts on December 23 against Coppin State. He had a team-high 10 assists on December 19 against the Rider Broncs.
At the conclusion of his career, Gist's 81.3% mark from the free throw line ranks seventh all-time in Iona history. His 89.2% during the 2020-21 season is second all-time for a single season.
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