Iona vs. St. Peters

It's the long-shot Peacocks of St. Peter's vs. the Gaels of Iona in the championship game of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament Monday night in Albany, with the winner receiving an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.

St. Peter's, the #5 seed in the tournament, beat Rider Friday and Siena Saturday before upsetting top-seeded Manhattan Sunday 84-74 to get to this championship game. The Peacocks shot 32 of 63 from the field vs. the Jaspers.

Iona, the second seed in the tournament, beat Niagara 80-54 Saturday and third-seeded Marist 100-84 Sunday to get here.

The Gaels are a profitable 16-10 against the spread this season, 12-8 ats in CAC play.

St. Peter's is 13-13 against the spread on the season, 10-10 ats vs. Colonial Conference opponents.

After winning four games in a row, Iona dropped its last two regular-season games to miss out on a share of the conference title. But a bid in the NCAA tournament would certainly make up for that.

After losing four of five games in early February, the Peacocks have won four games in a row.

Iona has won four of the last seven games in the series with St. Peter's, and the teams have split two games this season. In their most recent encounter, the Peacocks upset the Gaels on their home court 76-72 in January, outrebounding the hosts 44-34. Iona also missed 10 of 23 free-throw attempts in that game.

The last four games in this series have gone over the total.

Iona is shooting 48 percent from the field on the season, 41 percent from beyond the arc. The Gaels also enjoy a +3.5 rebounds per game margin.

St. Peter's shoots 73 percent from the free-throw line as a team, but has a -1.5 rebounds per game margin.

In the latest RPI at NCAAsports.com, Iona is ranked 81st, while St. Peter's is rated 152nd.

The over is 17-8 in Gaels games this season, 11-13 in Peacocks games.

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