Iona Basketball vs Sacred Heart: Live Stream, Start Time, Odds & Key Storylines for MAAC Tournament Clash

With tournament time finally here, the Iona Gaels men’s basketball team is surging into March with equal parts momentum and motivation. The Gaels (18-13, 10-10 MAAC) open the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament tonight in Atlantic City against the Sacred Heart Pioneers, a rematch of December’s 81-69 Iona victory that featured graduate guard CJ Anthony’s breakout 15-point effort. Head coach Tobin Anderson’s squad has gone 5-2 since mid-February, tightening its defense to a league-best 42.5 percent opponent field-goal mark and riding an attack that averages 73.6 points per game. Anthony, the Cincinnati transfer who quickly became the Gaels’ floor general, was rewarded on Wednesday with All-MAAC Second Team honors after leading Iona in scoring (14.4 ppg) and assists (5.4 apg) while ranking second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.87). His partnership with sophomore swingman Kosy Akametu—fresh off his second MAAC Player of the Week nod—has given Iona a dynamic inside-outside punch that Sacred Heart struggled to contain in the first meeting. Key matchup numbers • Defensive glass: Iona tops the MAAC with 24.4 defensive boards per game, anchored by 6-8 forward Lamin Sabally. Limiting second-chance points is critical against a Pioneers squad that shoots 43.4 percent from the floor. • Tempo control: Sacred Heart (13-18, 9-11) prefers to push the pace behind guard Anquan Hill (17.4 ppg). Iona’s backcourt depth—Anthony, Akametu and freshman spark plug Bryce Weaver—must slow transition looks. • Perimeter accuracy: The Gaels hit 7.8 threes per contest during their current run, and Boardwalk Hall’s spacious sight lines historically favor good shooting teams on Day 1 of the tournament. What’s at stake Iona is chasing its eighth MAAC championship in the last 13 seasons and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, a stage the program last reached in 2023. Anderson, in just his second year in New Rochelle, has already toppled ranked foe St. John’s and posted a perfect 8-0 non-conference home slate—benchmarks that suggest the Gaels are built for win-or-go-home basketball. For Sacred Heart, advancing would mark the Pioneers’ first MAAC quarterfinal appearance since joining the conference two seasons ago. They’ll need Hill and sharpshooter Nyle Ralph-Beyer (15.2 ppg) to match Iona shot for shot, especially from beyond the arc where the Gaels hold a 35-29 percent season edge. Tipoff and coverage Tonight’s first-round clash tips at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with radio coverage via WIUR-88.1 FM and live statistics on IonaGaels.com. The winner moves on to face top-seed Fairfield on Friday. Search-friendly takeaways • Iona Gaels basketball vs. Sacred Heart Pioneers MAAC Tournament preview • CJ Anthony named All-MAAC Second Team ahead of MAAC quarterfinals • How Iona’s defense and three-point shooting could drive another NCAA bid As March Madness grips the metro area, “Iona basketball” is once again a phrase dominating both Bronxville barroom chatter and national search trends—and the next chapter starts tonight on the Jersey Shore.