Recap: Iona vs. Wake Forest

St. Thomas, VI (Sports Network) - Sean Armand scored a game-high 28 points as the Iona Gaels crushed the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 94-68, in the third round of the 2012 Paradise Jam.

Armand not only shot 10-of-14 from the floor for the Gaels (2-1), he also nailed 7-of-10 shots behind the three-point line in the victory. Lamont Jones added 21 points, six assists and four rebounds for Iona, followed by Tre Bowman with 15 points.

The Demon Deacons (1-2) were paced by Travis McKie who tallied 13 points and seven assists, followed by Madison Jones and C.J. Harris who both dropped in 10 points in defeat.

The Gaels opened the contest on a 10-1 run and never looked back, shooting a stellar 65.5 percent from the floor in the first half and an even more impressive 9-of-12 (.750) beyond the arc to take a 54-24 lead into the break.

In the second half Iona cooled to 42.1 percent from the field and 5-of-16 behind the three-point line, but there was still little chance of Wake Forest catching up and making a game of it in the final 20 minutes of action.

In addition to the offense connecting on 52.2 percent from the floor, the defense for the Gaels also stepped up to force 19 turnovers in the outing.

Both teams will be in action on Monday during the championship round of the tourney.