RIVERDALE, NY - After falling behind by eight midway through the first half, the Iona College women's basketball team used a 30-14 run over the final eight minutes of the stanza and held on for a 71-64 victory over Manhattan College Thursday evening at Draddy Gymnasium.

Freshman forward Joy Adams led the Gaels with 16 points and a career high 19 rebounds in a contest in which all five Iona starters scored in double figures.  

Sophomore guard Aleesha Powell had 13 points to go along with a game high five assists.  Redshirt junior guard Haley D'Angelo had 10 points, her third double digit effort in the last four contests.  Sophomore Damika Martinez had 10 points, three assists and three steals.

Junior center Sabrina Jeridore had 10 points and four blocks.  With 85 blocks on the season, Jeridore now holds the Iona single season record.

Early on the contest, Iona pulled out to a 12-4 lead with 14:30 remaining on a jumper by Jeridore.  Adams helped ignite the run with seven points over the first five minutes of play.

The Jaspers would battle back, going on an 11-2 run, taking their first lead, 15-14, on a jumper by Toni-Ann Lawrence with 11 remaining in the period.

Lawrence would be the catalyst of the Manhattan run, scoring 16 first half points, including a jumper with 8:19 remaining that extended the Jaspers' lead to 23-15.

A three pointer by Powell with 7:43 left in the half began the Iona charge.  Senior guard Diana Hubbard and freshman forward Cassidee Ranger followed with three pointers of their own to cut the Manhattan lead to one, 25-24, with 6:55 remaining in the period.

Adams would knock down a pair of free throws to give Iona the lead, 26-25.  Manhattan would counter to take a 29-28 lead with 4:58 remaining on a layup by Shayna Ericksen, before Iona would score 17 points in the final five minutes of the half, led by Martinez's five points and four points from Powell and Jeridore.

Manhattan would cut into a 13 point Iona lead with five points in the final 23 seconds of the half as Iona led 45-37 at intermission.

An early 6-2 secon half run by Manhattan cut the Iona lead to four, 47-43, when Maggie Blair hit a layup with 15:18 remaining.

Iona would respond with an 11-2 rally, taking a 13 point lead on a three pointer by Martinez with 11:32 on the clock that helped Iona secure the contest.

A layup by Powell with 5:23 remaining gave Iona a game high 15 point lead, 67-52, before Manhattan would begin a valiant attempt to snap the Iona winning streak late.

The home team countered with an 8-0 run, cutting the Iona lead to seven, 67-60, on a pair of free throws by Ashley Stec.  After Jeridore ended the run with a layup, the Jaspers scored four straight points, and cut the lead to five, 69-64, with 28 seconds remaining.

Forced to foul, Manhattan sent D'Angelo to the line and the captain converted a pair of free throws to clinch the Gaels' sixth straight win.

Manhattan was led by Lawrence's game high 23 points, while Skrec had nine points and four assists.

Adams pulled down seven offensive rebounds and 12 defensive rebounds in the contest for the Maroon & Gold.  Adams' 19 rebounds are the most by a Gael since Jan. 12, 2008 when Anna McLean pulled down 20 boards for the Gaels at Canisius.

Picked eighth in the preseason poll, the win clinched the Gaels of at least a third place finish in the MAAC.  A win Sunday at Rider (2:00 pm) will clinch second place and the number two seed in next weekend's MAAC Championship in Springfield, MA.