Jones leads way as St. Joe's outscores Iona

In less than a week, Carl Jones went from his worst performance of the season to his best.

As a result, St. Joseph's outlasted fastbreaking Iona, 96-91, in a wild nonconference game at electric Hagan Arena on Friday night.

Jones, a slithering 5-foot-11 senior guard from Garfield Heights, Ohio, scored a season-high 32 points and added five rebounds, four assists, and four steals as the Hawks (6-4) ended a two-game losing streak and registered their most points in regulation since 2008.

Langston Galloway (23 points) and C.J. Aiken (career-high 22 points, nine rebounds, four blocks) also aided the Hawks, who shot 56.9 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range.

"We shot better than we have all year," Hawks coach Phil Martelli said.

Jones scored a lot of his points on drives down the lane and lifted his career total to 1,531. He was 12 for 19 from the floor and hit 4 of 7 three-pointers.

In his previous game, a 60-57 loss to Fairfield last Saturday, Jones was bothered by a groin injury and had three points. He was 0 for 7 from the floor.

"He's got injuries to his body parts that he doesn't even know how to identify," Martelli said. "So he hasn't practiced" much.

But in Thursday's practice, Martelli said, Jones "led the way" and it had a carryover effect.

"I haven't been able to be myself," said Jones, who was suspended for three games earlier this season for violating the school's community standards. "I haven't been able to run. I just couldn't do what I wanted to do."

In hindsight, Jones said, he probably should have sat out against Fairfield. "But I wanted to help my team. . . . Now I'm healthy."

With 16 minutes, 12 seconds left, the Hawks had a 56-54 lead when Iona's 6-8, 240-pound David Laury (21 points, 14 rebounds) went to the bench with three fouls.

The Hawks went on an 11-4 run, building a 67-58 lead before Laury reentered the game.

Iona (6-6) was within 79-75, but Jones and Galloway hit three-pointers to put the Hawks ahead, 85-75, with 4:26 to go. Iona climbed to within 90-88 with 37.3 seconds left, but Aiken and Galloway each sank two foul shots to make it 94-88.

Iona's Lamont Jones (25 points) cut it to 94-91 with a three-pointer with 16.9 seconds remaining, but Aiken answered with two more free throws.

The Hawks were without starting forward Halil Kanacevic, a junior who served the second game of his two-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct in a loss to Villanova. Kanacevic is eligible to return Monday, when the Hawks play at Drexel at 4 p.m.