Braxton Bayless is still Mr. Clutch.
The former Ankeny star drained a game-winning 3-point goal with less than a second left on the clock to give Niagara a 75-73 victory at Iona in a MAAC men’s basketball game on Sunday.
“The shot felt real good leaving my hands. I knew it was good,” said Bayless. “I was in a comfortable spot on the move.”
Bayless finished with a career-high 22 points, going 5-for-9 from the field and 10-for-10 at the free-throw line. He became the second Purple Eagle this season to go 100 percent at the line with at least 10 attempts.
Bayless recorded his second consecutive 20-point game. It was the third time this season he led Niagara in scoring.
Iona made a layup with 17 seconds to go to cut Niagara’s lead to 72-71. The Gaels then forced a turnover and scored a go-ahead basket with 6 seconds remaining.
But that was just enough time for some heroics by Bayless, who led Ankeny to the Class 4A state championship in 2020.
With the game on the line, Niagara inbounded the ball to Luke Bumbalough, who then found Bayless for the game-winner. Iona turned the ball over on the ensuing inbounds play, securing the Purple Eagles’ first win at the Hynes Center since Jan. 12, 2020.
Bayless ranks second on the team in scoring with an average of 11.5 points, despite starting just one of the team’s 14 games. Niagara is now 2-2 in the MAAC and 6-8 overall.