ALBANY, NY - Senior First Team All-MAAC player
Thazina Cook led the Gaels with 19 points, nine rebounds, five steals, and one assist as the second-seeded Iona College women's basketball team was upset by three seed Fairfield in the semifinal round of the 2010 MAAC Championship.
Iona (18-13) has reached the final four in each of the past five seasons and has now been eliminated in the semifinals in back-to-back years. Fairfield's win advances the Stags (19-12) to the championship game for the first time since 2001.
Cook and
Kristina Ford drained a pair of three-point field goals to open the game, giving Iona its largest lead of the contest at 6-0 just over one minute in. Fairfield came back with eight straight points over a span of 3:24 to pull in front by two. The game remained close over the rest of the first half, with Iona leading by as many as three points with 6:59 on the clock. Tied at 27-all,
Milica Paligoric banked a shot off the glass to give the Gaels a two-point edge which the Stags matched with 15 seconds to go to head into halftime tied 29-29.
Iona led by two points on three occasions at the start of the second half, leading 35-33 when Fairfield mounted a 6-0 run to move ahead by four. Cook then hit a pair of free throws and
Suzi Fregosi added a layup to tie the score at 39-39 with 13:31 to go. Fairfield regained the lead with a basket 23 seconds later and was able to hold off Iona over the remainder.
The Gaels rallied back from an eight point deficit with 4:47 left to play, scoring eight of the next ten points to pull back to within two with just 41 seconds to go. Iona strategized over the final half minute but was unable to completely make up the difference. Fregosi drove to the basket to cut Fairfield's advantage to two with one second left but Katelyn Linney hit two free throws to seal the 61-57 final.
With a second place finish in the MAAC's regular season standings, Iona still has a chance to earn a berth in the postseason WNIT. The Gaels' season would continue provided first place Marist goes on to win the conference championship. The Stags and the Red Foxes will square off in the MAAC final Sunday at noon.
