NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College women's basketball team moved to 4-1 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play with a 79-62 victory over Manhattan Friday evening at Draddy Gymnasium. The Gaels withstood an early double-digit deficit and pulled away with 44 points in the second half.

Senior guard Damika Martinez scored a game-high 28 points. Martinez went 11-for-16 from the field, including 4-for-6 from behind the arc.  Junior forward Joy Adams contributed 17 points, 12 rebounds and four assists for her 52nd career double-double.

Junior guard Aaliyah Robinson scored 17 points of her own, knocking down five three-pointers. The Gaels connected on a season high 12 three-pointers in the contest, including eight in the second half.

Sophomore guard Marina Lizarazu dished out 12 assists and had four points, while junior forward Cassidee Ranger sparked the bench with eight points.

The Jaspers came out firing early, as a three-pointer by Nyasha Irizarry gave the home team a 15-4 advantage with 14:46 left in the first period.

With Manhattan ahead 21-14 with 8:00 left in the half, the Gaels began their climb back into the driver's seat with a 9-1 run. Martinez's jumper with 4:02 on the clock gave Iona its first lead of the game, 23-22.

The Gaels extended the lead to seven with a 12-6 run from there, as a layup by Martinez with 33 seconds left in the period gave Iona its biggest advantage of the first half, 35-28.

Out of the break, the Gaels took its first double-digit lead of the game, 42-32, on a Martinez three with 17:05 remaining.

After the Jaspers trimmed the deficit to seven, 42-35, Iona went on a 28-9 run, and grabbed a 70-44 lead on a three by Robinson with 9:27 remaining.

The Maroon & Gold grabbed its biggest lead of the contest, 76-49, with 5:29 remaining on a layup by freshman guard Philecia Gilmore.

Manhattan forward Shayna Ericksen led three Jaspers in double figures with 22 points. Iona is back in action Sunday afternoon at 2:00 pm, when it welcomes Saint Peter's to the Hynes Center.