Mike Ritz is currently a junior journalism major at Iona College. He is from Yorktown, New York and is a sports writer for the school newspaper, The Ionian. Mike has been the manager for the Iona women's basketball team since his freshman year. A lover of sports, he played four years of basketball in high school as well as four years of golf. Mike comes from an Iona family, both of his parents, Ron and Michelle, graduated from Iona as well as his sister, Jen, who played basketball for the Gaels for four years and graduated in 2008. Mike loves to be a part of the Iona family and aspires to be a successful sports writer when he graduates.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College women's basketball team earned their third win of the season Friday night, defeating Stony Brook in a 52-48 thriller at the Hynes Center.
The Gaels got off to a sluggish start, scoring just seven points and shooting 14 percent from the field in the first half. However they found their halftime deficit at only ten, with the Seawolves leading 17-7.
The Maroon & Gold turned it around in the second half, shooting 48% and hitting three key three-pointers late in the contest. A layup by freshman guard
Damika Martinez with 9:18 left in the contest, and the Gaels trailing 34-23, ignited a 13-4 run to close the gap to just two points at 38-36 with 4:32 remaining.
Down 45-42, the Gaels turned to senior forward
Kristina Ford, who hit a deep three pointer with 1:42 left to knot the game at 45. On the following possession, freshman guard
Aleesha Powell drilled a three pointer of her own with 57 seconds remaining to give Iona its first lead of the contest since the 19:35 mark of the first half.
A three pointer by Stony Brook's Dani Klupenger knotted the contest at 48 and gave the Gaels 33 seconds to try and come away with the win.
Ford again came through, as she sliced through the lane and connected on a layup, set up by a pass from senior guard
Suzi Fregosi, with 10 seconds remaining. Iona forced a turnover on the final Stony Brook possession and Fregosi secured the victory with two free throws in the closing seconds.
Ford led all scorers with 24 points and 13 rebounds, with Martinez chipping in with nine points and six rebounds.
"I was upset with the amount of turnovers we had in the first half," said head coach
Anthony Bozzella. "We also lacked in defensive rebounding, but I was pleased with how we came together and pulled out a really good team win. It is a definite confidence booster."
Bozzella also touched on the two key trifectas late in the contest. "At this point, I honestly expect it from Kristina. She really put the team on her shoulders in the second half and I am proud of her. Aleesha showed a lot of confidence for a freshman by stepping up and knocking down that shot."
The Gaels next travel to the Lone Star State to take on Texas A&M Corpus Christi Tuesday at 6:00 pm.
