WICHITA, KS - The Iona College women's basketball team (3-1) bounced back from a slow start to put itself in contention for a win, but came up two points shy in a narrow 66-64 defeat at Wichita State (3-1). The squad's season-opening win streak was halted at three games, the longest string to start a season since 1982.
Anda Ivkovic paced the Gaels with a 20-point, nine-rebound outing, connecting on 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Also scoring in double figures for Iona were Thazina Cook and Milica Paligoric, each with 11 points. Paligoric topped off her debut with five rebounds, two assists, and three steals while making two baskets from three point range.
Marcy Sudbeck had a double-double for the host Shockers, with a team-best 21 points and 15 rebounds. She was followed by Val Siemens (14 pts) and Jacie Hoyt (13 pts).
Wichita State was in front for much of the first half after scoring the first four points of the game, and had stretched out a 12-point, 19-7 advantage by the 8:43 mark. Ten seconds later, Iona kicked off a 19-7 run and tied the game at 26-all with back-to-back threes from Paligoric. Hoyt scored five of seven points for the Shockers over the closing two and a half minutes and the hosts took a 33-31 edge into the second half.
Iona grabbed the reigns in the second period and assumed a five point lead when Ivkovic converted a three-point play at 17:26. Wichita State came back to tie the score, 44-44, and the two teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle to the end.
The Shockers were up by four with 15 seconds left in the game, and Iona drove down the floor, dishing off to Cook for a nailed three with 7.1 seconds on the clock. As Iona trailed by one point, Marisah Henderson made a single free throw to put her team ahead by two with three seconds left. The Gaels had one final possession but missed a shot at the buzzer.
Iona's bench contributed 21 points, contested by only five from the Wichita State bench, and earned 22 points off the Shockers' 24 turnovers. The Maroon & Gold trailed 42-32 in rebounding, with Wichita racking up 13 second-chance points. Iona's seven trifectas topped the Shockers' three.
The Gaels wrap up a four game road stretch on Nov. 26 with a 4:00 pm tilt at St. Francis (NY).
