LOUDONVILLE, NY - Iona College women's basketball junior forward Cassidee Ranger scored a career-high 23 points and knocked down seven of the Gaels' season-high 14 three-pointers in a 79-50 victory over Siena Friday evening at Alumni Recreation Center.
Pressed into action early due to foul trouble to the team's frontcourt starters, Ranger's seven three-pointers are the most in the league this season. Ranger's previous career high in points was 11, set as a freshman during the 2012-13 campaign.
Senior guard Damika Martinez scored a game-high 25 points, and grabbed 12 rebounds for her second double-double performance of the season. Martinez went 7-for-11 from the floor in the contest, and moved her career point total to 2,251 in the victory.
Sophomore guard Marina Lizarazu scored 13 points and dished out seven assists in the contest. Defensively, Iona forced the Saints into 24 turnovers and turned them into 28 points.
The first half saw three ties and the Gaels behind by as many as six in the early going. Siena freshman forward Margot Hetzke gave the Saints a 14-8 lead with 12:24 remaining.
Ranger knocked down her first three of the game less than a minute later to cut the lead to three, 14-11, and started a 10-4 run by Iona to even the game at 18, with 8:59 left in the period.
Four straight points by Siena pushed the advantage in favor of the home team with 7:57 left on the clock, before the Gaels took their biggest lead of the period with a 14-1 run.
Martinez got the ball rolling with a layup before Ranger hit back-to-back shots from the outside and junior forward Joy Adams and junior guard Aaliyah Robinson each hit from deep as well. Siena trimmed the deficit to seven, 32-25, just before half on a pair of free throws from senior guard Ida Krogh.
Siena, who overcame a 20-point deficit in its last contest, looked to play comeback kids once again as a 14-7 run to open the second period evened the contest as 39 with 15:30 remaining.
Iona responded with a 22-4 charge that spoiled the Saints' chances at another come from behind victory. Sophomore forward Aurellia Cammock started the run with a three-point play before Ranger connected on four three-pointers and Martinez contributed five points of her own. Lizarazu's layup with 8:04 remaining gave the Maroon & Gold a 61-43 edge.
Siena scored seven of the next 11 points to cut the margin to 15, before the Gaels held the Saints scoreless for the final 5:35 of the contest, and grabbed a 29 point lead by way of a 14-0 run to close out the contest.
Siena senior guard Tehresa Coles scored a team-high 13 points, while Hetzke finished with 12 points. Iona is back in action Sunday afternoon, when it welcomes Rider to the Hynes Center for a 2:00 pm tip.
