SPRINGFIELD, MA - Sophomore guard
Damika Martinez tied a MAAC Championship single-game record with a career high 36 points as the Iona College women's basketball team advanced to the semifinals with a convincing 76-58 victory over Canisius Friday morning at the MassMutual Center.
Martinez connected on 14 of 23 shot attempts, including a career high six from behind the arc. She breaks a personal career best of 34 (at Rider 2011-12, at Columbia 2012-13) while tying Patty Stoffey of Loyola's single game mark set during the 1994 MAAC Championship.
Freshman forward
Joy Adams, named the MAAC Rookie of the Year last night, contributed 15 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, three shy of the single game mark for a Championship game. Sophomore guard
Aleesha Powell scored 12 and had a game high three steals.
The Gaels found themselves in an early 5-2 deficit after five points from Canisius center Jamie Ruttle. Iona would go on a 9-5 run and take an 11-10 lead on a layup by Adams with 14:44 remaining in the first. From there, Iona will no longer trail in the contest.
Iona extended its lead to seven, 18-11, on a layup by Martinez before gaining its first double digit margin, 23-13, on a layup by Adams with 10:42 remaining in the period.
Trailing 25-15 after another layup by Adams, Canisius went on a 7-0 run, cutting the Iona lead to three, 52-22, on a layup by Jen Morabito with 5:47 left in the half.
Silenced offensively for almost four minutes, the Maroon & Gold snapped the opposition's run on a jumper by Powell with 5:14 remaining before extending its lead to nine, 31-22, on a jumper by Martinez with 3:55 left in the half. Iona would then score six of the final eleven points of the half, including four more by Martinez, and held a 37-27 lead at intermission.
In the first half, Iona shot 54.8% from the field, while holding the Griffs to 31.4% shooting. Each squad knocked down three three-pointers in the first 20 minutes of action.
After the Griffs nearly came back from a double digit halftime deficit in the teams' prior matchup, Iona made sure the outcome was not in doubt late. The Gaels opened the second half with a three-pointer by Martinez as Iona began the period on a 7-4 run, taking a 47-31 lead with 16:34 remaining on another Martinez trifecta.
Adams would convert a three-point play with 10:36 to give the Gaels a 17 point lead, 53-36, before Canisius countered with a 7-3 run, cutting the deficit to 13, 56-43, with 7:57 left on the the clock.
Iona would counter with a a 10-2 run to wrap up the ballgame, taking a 21 point lead, 66-45, with 5:11 remaining on a jumper by Powell as Iona picked up a win at the MAAC Championships for the seven time in the eight seasons.
This season, Martinez has knocked down a single season record 70 three pointers, while her 547 points scored are the third most in a season.
Iona is back in action Saturday morning at 9:30 am, when the Gaels take on No. 6 Siena in the first semifinals matchup, with the winner advancing to Monday afternoon's Championship game.
