Milan Prodanovic's two free throws with seven seconds left on the clock in the second overtime proved to be the difference as the visiting Iona College Gaels topped Canisius College 78-77 in double overtime Saturday afternoon in the Koessler Athletic Center. The win was Iona's fourth in its last five contests and improved the team to 9-10 overall and 4-4 in the MAAC, while the Golden Griffins slipped to 6-12 overall and 1-7 in league play.
Prodanovic came on to shoot the two free throws after his teammate Gary Springer was injured pulling down a rebound of a missed Canisius free throw with eight seconds left in the second overtime session. Prodanovic, who entered the game shooting 66.7 percent from the charity stripe, came onto the floor and hit both shots to put the Gaels up 78-75.
For Canisius, junior Frank Turner scored a game-high 23 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists in 47 minutes of action. Sophomore Greg Logins posted his fifth career double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out, while teammate Julius Coles added 14 points and four assists. The Griffs shot 45.5 percent from the field in the loss and ended the day with three players recording a career-high in minutes played.
With 1:21 left in regulation time, Canisius trailed 56-52 after Springer hit one-of-two free throws. The Griffs made the score 56-54 with one minute left on the clock after Elton Frazier scored on a layup and after the Gales failed to convert the next time down the floor, Turner knotted the game at 56-56 with a jumper in the lane with 15 seconds left. In the first overtime, the Blue and Gold led by three at 63-60 after Coles laid one off the glass with 41 ticks left, but Iona forced a second overtime period when Jonathan Huffman hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with 20 seconds left to play.
The Griffs trailed by as many as five points in the second overtime with 37 seconds left on the clock, but Turner's traditional three-point play with a lay-up and a free throw cut that lead to two at 76-74. Canisius took the ball back after an offensive foul was charged to Iona, but the Blue and Gold was only able to convert on one of two tosses from the line moments later and Springer came down with the rebound before being fouled.
"This was an example of two teams battling it out through two overtime periods in a game that came down to the last possession," Canisius head coach Tom Parrotta said. "We just need to find ways to fight through. The effort was definitely there and we had to overcome some adversity with foul trouble. I think the guys showed some real grit today, especially being down five late in that second overtime period. Before today, Frank was the only guy on this roster to have played a college game that went to overtime. We didn't back down."
Springer scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds before leaving the game with the injury. Freshman Scott Machado had 12 points and eight assists as the Gaels shot 43.1 percent from the field and 61.5 percent from the free-throw line, knocking down 24-of-39 tosses from the line.
Canisius will return to action Jan. 23, when the team plays at Marist on ESPNU. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
Game Notes: The double overtime game was Canisius' first since Dec. 2, 2006 and the 12th in school history... The last time Canisius played a double-OT game in the Koessler Athletic Center was Dec. 2, 2005... The Griffs are now 45-39 all-time in games that have gone to extra sessions... Turner's 23 points gives him 1,024 for his career, which ranks 26th all-time in school history... Turner's 47 minutes played are the most for a Griff since Kevin Downey played 49 minutes against FDU Dec. 2, 2005... Four of Logins' five career double-doubles have come this season.
