Poughkeepsie, NY - The Iona College women's basketball team (2-5, 0-1 MAAC) opened MAAC play against top ranked Marist (9-1, 1-0 MAAC) at the McCann Center.  The Red Foxes held Iona to its lowest point total of the season, 55, while scoring a season-high 81 points.

The Gaels were led by Thazina Cook's 13 points, with Tiara Headen adding 12 points and five rebounds.  Anna McLean had a team-best eight rebounds and Lauren DeFalco was Iona's top passer with four assists.  Marist's Rachele Fitz led all players with 22 points.

The Maroon & Gold took its only lead of the game as Headen knocked down the first basket of the night with a jumper 17 seconds in.  The Red Foxes promptly went on a 15-0 run, sparked by a Fitz jumper and capped off with a Julianne Viani three-point play with 16:34 to go in the first half.  Marist's largest lead of the first half was 22, as a Lynzee Johnson jumper put the Red Foxes ahead 43-21. Cook would score the last basket of the half to make the score 43-23.

The host team grabbed control of the paint in the second half, scoring ten of its first 14 points of the period in the lane, taking a 57-40 lead with 12:41 remaining.  After a Headen jumper got Iona within 15, Marist would go on a 20-2 run over the next 8:53 to take their largest lead, 78-44, with 3:48 to go.  A three pointer by Headen initiated an 11-3 Gael run as the clock expired to zero.

Iona returns home to host Siena on Sunday at 2:00 pm.