Box Score

New Rochelle, NY - Regan Pettijohn scored a team high eleven points to go along with four rebounds and a steal as the Iona College women's basketball team (17-11, 12-5 MAAC) was downed by MAAC-leading Marist (23-5, 16-1 MAAC). Tiara Headen added ten points, seven boards and two assists. The loss was the Gaels' first in a doubleheader game at the Hynes Athletics Center.

Meg Dahlman paced the field with 14 points for the Red Foxes. She was followed by Rachele Fitz and Nikki Flores, who scored 12 and ten points respectively.

The two teams bobbled the lead over the first seven minutes. Iona was the first to pull ahead, leading 4-0 on two buckets by Jessica Anger and Martina Weber. Dahlman then knocked down a long shot, followed by a three point play by Fitz to steal the advantage.

Marist gained control, which they would hang on to for good, on a Dahlman layup at 10:47. The Red Foxes went on a 12-2 run to land at their largest lead of the night, a 25-13 advance at the 5:32 mark.

A Naeemah Ricketts trifecta was the last score for the Gaels in the first half, as Marist held Iona scoreless over the final 3:19 for a 31-20 halftime edge.

Toni Horvath and Pettijohn dropped in back-to-back layups to start of the second half, bringing the Gaels to within seven. At 33-25 with 16:08 on the clock, neither team was able to find the net for the next two minutes. Marist was the first to get back on track, with Dahlman scoring four straight points for the Red Foxes to push the lead to 12.

Iona put together a fighting drive kicked off by a long shot by Anger to come within three at 9:34. However, the Red Foxes held the Maroon & Gold to just eight points over the remainder.

Despite the loss, Iona held a 42-28 rebound advantage and shot 40.4% from the floor to Marist's 32%. Horvath registered five points, two rebounds, and six assists in her final home game, while Weber added nine points and nine boards.

The Gaels will face Rider on Sunday (Feb. 25) at 2:00 pm.

--GAELS--