NEWARK, DE – The University of Delaware men’s basketball squad dropped its third straight game Saturday night as Iona, ranked last in NCAA Division I in wins and free throw percentage, knocked down six straight free throws in the final 33 seconds to knock off the Blue Henss 52-50 in an ESPNU BracketBusters Tournament game at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Delaware (5-23), which set a school record for losses in a season, held a 43-41 lead with 3:21 left to play, but Iona (2-25) scored five straight points and sealed the win with six straight free throws down the stretch to snap a three-game losing streak and put an end to a 15-game road losing streak that dated back to last season. The Gaels won their first road game since an 83-79 win at Rider Feb. 15, 2006.

Mike Harris leds the Gaels with 13 points while Justin Marshall came off the bench to add 12 points and a team-high six rebounds. Iona, the only team in NCAA Division I men’s basketball with just one win, entered the game ranked last among 325 schools with a 55.8 percentage from the foul line but hit on 13 of 18 for the game, converting its final six attempts, to clinch the win.

Delaware, which also set a school record with its 10th home loss of the season, got 17 points and a career-high 15 rebounds from junior forward Herb Courtney (at right) while Brian Johnson added 14 points and Sam McMahon contributed 10 points and six rebounds. Courtney posted his fourth straight double-double and his ninth of the season in the loss.

“A lot of our warts showed up tonight,” said Delaware head coach Monté Ross, whose squad includes just seven players due to injuries and defections. “We seem to be making the same mistakes we made earlier in the season. Committing turnovers and giving up offensive rebounds came back to bite us in the end.”

Both teams struggled offensively as Delaware hit just 18 of 49 shots from the field (36.7 percent), including just 3 of 15 shots from beyond the three-point line, while Iona was just 18 of 50 (36 percent) from the field, including 3 of 17 from long distance.

The closely-fought contest included six ties and six lead changes and neither team led by more than six points the entire second half and by more than eight points the entire game. The second half featured five ties, including the last at 39-39 with 8:38 left to play.

Iona jumped out to a 24-18 lead at halftime and still lead by four points at 39-35 with 10:56 remaining after a three-pointer by Marshall. But Delaware came back to tie the game twice over the next three minutes and took a 43-41 lead with 3:21 left on a jumper by Brian Johnson.

The Gaels answered with five straight points to take the lead for good as Harris knocked down a three-pointer and Anthony Bruin followed with a layup 25 seconds later for a 46-43 lead. Courtney followed with two free throws to cut the lead to 46-45 with 34 seconds left, but Harris knocked down two free throws to push the lead to 48-45. Brian Johnson followed with a layup with 26 seconds left to cut the margin to one, but Iona came up big at the line again as De’Shaune Griffin sank two free throws with 24 seconds left for a 50-47 lead. After Johnson made one of two free throws with 11 seconds left, Iona sealed the victory as two more free throws by Harris with 10 seconds remaining pushed the lead to 52-48.

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