LaMont “MoMo” Jones is never going to be confused with Gary Payton, but his defense was just as important to Iona’s come-from-behind, 78-70 victory over rival Manhattan in New Rochelle on Sunday night as his game-high 30 points.
The standout senior guard from Harlem lit up the Hynes Center in the second half, pouring in 22 points and sinking four 3-pointers, but the three offensive fouls he drew, two on Manhattan point guard RaShawn Stores, truly turned the game in Iona’s favor.
“I thought MoMo took leadership of the team in the second half and it started with his defense,” Iona coach Tim Cluess said. “Our defensive effort was better in the second half and that’s why we played well.”
Without Stores, who was filling in for injured Manhattan point guard Mike Alvarado (right ankle), the Jaspers lacked the facilitator they sorely needed against Iona’s pressure. It also took one of their top scorers off the floor, and the Jaspers were already without leading scorer George Beamon (right ankle) and Alvarado, who wore matching walking boots on their right feet.
After a sluggish first half, in which Iona was unable to get out in transition and play the frenetic, free-flowing style it thrives on, the Gaels (9-6, 3-1) exploded after halftime. They scored 48 points, made eight 3-pointers and shot over 62 percent from the field. It began on the defensive end, with Jones asking Cluess at halftime to switch to man-to-man and put him on Stores.
“Defense is always more important,” Jones said. “[Last night] second half mainly our defense dictate our offense.”
Manhattan (4-10, 2-2) couldn’t have scripted a better start. Jones didn’t get into the scoring column until nearly 12 minutes had elapsed. It turned the contest into a grind and the Jaspers led 36-30 by halftime. But once Iona hit its stride, the Jaspers didn’t have an answer for the high-powered Gaels, particularly with Stores stuck on the bench much of the second half and freshman C.J. Jones forced into action.
“It’s brutal, it’s not fun,” Manhattan coach Steve Masiello said. “We’re playing with puppies and they have pitbulls.”
Emmy Andujar and Rhamel Brown did their best, scoring 17 and 16 points, respectively. Brown added nine rebounds, seven blocks and four assists.
LaMont Jones scored eight points in the first 1:21 after halftime, to give Iona its first lead since the early going, and scored five straight points late to push the Gaels lead to 68-60 with 5:13 left.
“MoMo got on such a roll there you can’t even let him get the basketball,” Masiello said.
While Iona isn’t necessarily young, it is a new, inexperienced team as far as Division I basketball goes. So while its three league wins, by an average of just over seven points per victory, have been ugly, they have been productive.
“We’re really scratching the surface of what we can be,” Cluess said.
zbraziller@nypost.com