RIVERDALE, NY - The Iona College women's basketball team evened it's record in MAAC play to 1-1 with a 79-62 win over Manhattan on the road.  The Gaels earned their second straight win over the Jaspers dating back to last season while recording their second victory in three games.

Iona broke a 2-2 tie on a basket by Anna McLean early in the first half, putting the Gaels in front for the rest of the night.  At the 13:04 mark, Thazina Cook hit two from the line to give the Maroon & Gold a 13-6 lead.  On the first of the two free throws, Cook secured her 1,000th career point which made her the 19th player in school history to achieve the feat.

Cook finished with 20 points to pace the Maroon & Gold, shooting 5-8 from the floor and 7-7 at the stripe. Both McLean and Kristina Ford added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Diana Hubbard rounded out the double figure scorers with 11 points.

Leading 20-15 with 8:21 to go in the opening half, Iona outscored Manhattan 21-11 to lead by 15 at the break.  The Gaels continued to dominate through the second half, holding the Jaspers scoreless over a span of 3:37 to claim their largest lead of the contest: a 25-point advantage at 57-32 with 12:31 remaining in the game.

Michelle Pacheco led Manhattan with 18 points, followed by 15 from Lindsey Loutsenhizer.

The Gaels had a season-high eight blocks on the night, led by Ford's three and McLean's two.  Iona posted its best shooting percentages of the year in field goals (.547) and three-point field goals (.500) and had its second-best free throw percentage of the season (.722).  The squad outrebounded Manhattan 41-22 while a strong presence underneath the basket gave Iona a 26-4 edge in points in the paint.

Iona makes its annual western New York swing over the coming weekend, taking on Canisius on Jan. 9 and Niagara on the 11th.