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NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Redshirt junior guard Jaaron Simmons (Dayton, Ohio) scored a season-high 22 points, but the Ohio men's basketball team (5-2) suffered a tough 79-75 loss at Iona (6-3) on Saturday (Dec. 10) at Hynes Athletics Center.

The Bobcats lost despite holding a 40-34 lead at halftime, marking the first time in 2016-17 Ohio has been defeated in a game in which it led at the half.

Simmons shot 8-of-18 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line to lead Ohio. He also added four assists and three rebounds in 40 minutes of work. He tallied at least 20 points in a game for the 12th time in his career. 

Senior forward Antonio Campbell (Cincinnati, Ohio) went 8-of-14 from the field to finish with 16 points and nearly recorded a double-double with a game-high nine rebounds. He also tallied a team-high three steals in 26 minutes of action.

Redshirt senior forward Kenny Kaminski (Medina, Ohio) made four field goals -- including three treys -- to post 11 points. He also hauled in five rebounds over 31 minutes.

Sophomore guard Jordan Dartis (Newark, Ohio) also finished in double figures in points for the Bobcats with 10. He distributed a team-high five assists and also had four boards in 38 minutes.

Iona received a game-high 30 points off of 13-of-18 shooting from senior forward Jordan Washington. He also compiled six rebounds, an assist and a block in 32 minutes.

Junior guard/forward Jan Svandrlik gave the Gaels a boost off of the bench, draining five of his six made field goals from beyond the arc to finish with 19 points in 19 minutes. He also had five rebounds. Svandrlik sank four of his three-pointers in the second half.

Freshman guard/forward E.J. Crawford notched 15 points thanks in large to seven made free throws. He also contributed four rebounds and an assist over 29 minutes for Iona.

Sophomore guard Rickey McGill distributed a game-high 12 assists for the Gaels. He also had six points, three steals and two rebounds in 35 minutes.

The Bobcats out to a 21-9 lead over the opening 10 minutes of play -- Ohio's largest advantage of the contest at 12 points. Eight points by Campbell, treys by Kaminski and Simmons and five points from freshman guard Rodney Culver (Columbus, Ohio) helped Ohio build up the early edge.

A pair of layups and a par of made free throws by Washington and treys from Crawford and graduate guard Sam Cassell Jr. helped Iona make it a three-point game at 29-26 with just over six minutes to play in the first half, but a jumper by Campbell and a jumper and a three-pointer by Simmons helped the Bobcats go back up by double digits with just over three minutes remaining.

The Gaels utilized a conventional three-point play by Washington, a three by Svandrlik and layup by Washington to make it a two-point affair at 36-34 with just over two minutes left in the half, but a pair of free throws by Simmons and a dunk by Culver allowed the Bobcats to take a six-point lead into halftime.

Iona evened the score at 43-all with just over 17 minutes to play after sophomore guard Schadrac Casimir knocked down a three and Washington made a layup. 

Ohio went a 13-7 run over the ensuing three-plus minutes to take a 56-50 lead, thanks in large part to a three by Kaminski, a jumper and a layup by Simmons and a pair of layups by Carter. Iona took its first lead of the game two minutes later, though, when Svandrlik sank a three with just under 12 minutes remaining.

The Bobcats went back up by five at 70-65 when sophomore forward Doug Taylor (Columbus, Ohio) hit a jump shot with 7:40 to go, but the Gaels battled back with a 10-0 run that saw Svandrlik knock down a pair of treys and a pair of free throws and Washington make a layup to put Iona up by five with less than three minutes remaining.

Ohio tied the score with 1:36 left after a three by sophomore guard/forward Gavin Block (Lincoln, Ill.) and two free throws by Dartis, tying it at 75-all. Crawford was fouled with 1:23 to play and put the Gaels back up by one by making the first of his two freebies.

The Bobcats had a chance to take command of the game with 31 seconds left when Campbell stole the ball from McGill. Unfortunately, Ohio turned the ball right back over to the Gaels, allowing Iona to seal the victory with a conventional three-point play by Crawford. 

Ohio returns to the Convocation Center next Wednesday (Dec. 14) to take on Milwaukee in a 7 p.m. ET matchup in Athens, Ohio. The contest will be televised on Buckeye Cable Sports Network, Time Warner Cable Sports and ESPN3.

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