When the MAAC regular-season schedule came out, it seemed a fait accompli that the league championship would come down to last night’s climactic tilt between Iona and Manhattan.
It seemingly always does.
Everybody saw this finale coming, except the Gaels who played the game.
With four seniors in the lineup who have played together since their first day on campus three years ago, who have played with – or against – each other in city gyms for seven years, who have combined to start over 300 games and played over 400, they were convinced they would’ve locked the league title up already.
They should’ve known better. The Gaels don’t do anything easy.
“I should have my doctorate in life experience and my Masters in psychology,” grumbled Iona coach Jeff Ruland, the exasperation audible in his voice as his Gaels prepared for last night’s showdown in Riverdale. “I can’t read these guys. I love them to death, but they’re a coach’s worst nightmare.
“I thought we might have it put away by now, if we’d done what we should’ve done. We’re 20-6, and we could be 24-2. It’s stupid. I don’t want to take anything away from the teams that beat us, but we beat ourselves with a lack of focus and a lack of energy.”
Steve Burtt, who came in averaging 25.0 points and is the Gaels’ No. 2 all-time scorer, agreed.
“It’s very surprising. We should’ve ran away with this league, put this away a long time ago,” Burtt said. “We’ve had a few lapses. You have to make sure the things that cause you to have lapses don’t come back: [lack of] defense, not coming out of the gate hard, not putting teams away, letting teams back in the game.”
The Gaels have been maddeningly inconsistent, routing No. 23 Iowa State in Ames 89-72 and losing just 73-67 against No. 20 Kentucky at a neutral site.
But they’ve dropped four league games at home, including an 82-76 loss on Thursday’s Senior Night that left Burtt in tears after a 33-point outing.
One would imagine a veteran quartet like Burtt, Ricky Soliver, Marvin McCullough and Kiril Wachsmann would be more consistent. But Burtt – who was nursing a bad elbow last night – thinks that experience has left them jaded at times.
“When our backs are against the wall, we’re the best,” Burtt said. “Being away, your back is against the wall the whole game. It forces you to play hard.”
If they lost last night, they would be forced to play hard when they head to Albany for next weekend’s MAAC Tourney. Last night’s winner got not just the regular-season title, but the coveted double-bye straight into Sunday’s semis.
In the first dozen years since the league went to a single division, the top seed won only three times, the same amount of times it got knocked out in its first game in the quarterfinals. Since the double-bye? It’s won all three.
“It’s very important; we’re very well aware of that double bye. It’s a world of difference, that rest,” Burtt said. “Having that going into the semis means a lot more.”
