The Iona Gaels advanced to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game a year ago and made it all the way to the title game of the CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament. That sent them into 2011-12 feeling pretty good, and they were the overwhelming pick to win the conference this year.
NCAA Bracket 2012: How Iona Basketball Got To March Madness
Iona scored tons of points, but fell to Fairfield in the MAAC tournament.
Getty Images
Following a loss to Purdue in their season opener, the Gaels ran off seven straight wins and ended up cruising to the MAAC’s regular season title with a 25-7 overall record and 15-3 MAAC record. Along the way, they established themselves as the top scoring team in the country, averaging 83.3 points per game and shooting .504 from the field, the second best mark in the nation.
It did not go so well in the conference tournament, though. The Gaels lost to Fairfield in the semifinals, blowing a two-point halftime lead. Iona had won each of the previous two meetings. Just to add insult to injury, Fairfield fell to Loyola (Md.) in the finals.
Despite the loss, Iona made the tournament as a No. 14 seed and will play BYU in a First Four matchup. The winner will face No. 3 seed Marquette in the second round.
Join our 2012 NCAA Bracket pool to compete against the best and brightest from around the network.
For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation’s Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation’s NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.
See More:
