NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College women's basketball tied a program record with its 24th win of the season, a 69-52 triumph over Canisius Saturday afternoon at the Hynes Center. The 24 victories match the output by the 1976-77 squad.
Sophomore guard Aaliyah Robinson led the Gaels with 17 points, connecting on five attempts from behind the arc. Junior guard Damika Martinez scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.
Junior guard Aleesha Powell filled out the statsheet with nine points, four rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals.
In the frontcourt, sophomore forward Joy Adams scored six points and grabbed a game high 15 rebounds. Senior center Sabrina Jeridore fell just one rebound shy of a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing nine boards.
Iona shot just 38.2% from the field, but was aided by 10 three points field goals and 20 offensive rebounds. The Gaels also outscored the Golden Griffins 10-0 on fastbreak points.
The first minutes of the contest featured three ties and six lead changes, as a three pointer by Robinson with 15:42 remaining pushed Iona ahead 12-9.
The Gaels held a 17-11 lead before six straight Canisius points evened the score. The Golden Griffins then went on an 11-5, taking a 28-22 lead on a jumper by Crystal Porter with 4:12 left in the first.
Iona then closed out the first half with a 10-0 charge, aided by eight points from sophomore forward Cassidee Ranger, who connected a layup and two three pointers to give Iona a 32-28 lead at the break.
With 13:21 left in the second half, the Gaels grabbed their first double digit lead of the game, 46-36, on a three by red shirt senior guard Haley D'Angelo. Iona later took a 50-40 lead on a jumper by Robinson with 10:23 left, and held a double digit lead for the remainder of contest.
The Maroon & Gold took its biggest lead of the contest, 62-43, on a layup by Powell with 3:53 remaining to put the contest away. Canisius was led by Porter's 23 points and seven rebounds while Tiahanna Mills contributed seven assists.
The Gaels complete the regular season next weekend with a pair of games, beginning Thursday at 6:00 pm when they travel to Hamden, CT for a matchup with Quinnipiac. Iona then hosts Marist on Sunday, Mar. 2 at 12:00 pm. Both games will be televised on ESPN3.
