PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Iona College women's basketball team pulled out a gutsy 81-75 win against Saint Joseph's early Thursday afternoon. Behind 25 points from junior Marina Lizarazu, and 23 from senior Joy Adams, the Gaels were able to pull out the victory in a game that had seven ties and 12 lead changes.
The Gaels and Hawks combined for 52 personal fouls, and 65 free throw attempts, and while the ebb and flow of the contest was in flux throughout, it was combative and constantly in momentum purgatory.
Iona jumped out to an early six point lead just minutes into the first quarter, with Adams picking up five quick points just a few minutes into the game. However, the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year would pick up an early second foul that'd force her to take a seat for the remainder of the first half.
Saint Joseph held a 17 to 16 lead at the end of the first frame.
The second quarter saw the see-saw battle increase in back-and-forth frequency; the score was tied four times, and the lead changed five times in just this specific ten minute streak. Senior Aaliyah Robinson was big for the Maroon & Gold during the second, going three-for-four from beyond the arc to lead the team with nine points heading into the halftime break.
Saint Joseph's was led by junior Amanda Fioravanti heading into the break with 10 points on five-of-five shooting; senior forward Sarah Fairbanks also hit the minimum-double digit mark in the opening half, on two-of-four shooting, and a perfect six-of-six from the charity stripe.
With the start of the second-half came the emergence of Adams. Having played only four minutes in the first half, she used her reserved energy to score 18 second half points and pull down six rebounds. Contact was not anything the Orlando, FL player shied away from; Adams had six and-one buckets during her 24 minutes of play.
Saint Joseph's was able to erupt the kid-filled crowd with a buzzer-beater to end the third quarter; senior Ciara Andrews knocked down a jumper from the left elbow to give the Hawks a 54-53 edge before hitting the home stretch.
The turning point in the game came at the 4:14 mark. Adams stole the ball and converted a fast break layup to get the Gaels within one, 62-61. Upon the ensuing Hawks inbound, freshman Treyanna Clay stole the entry pass and converted a lay-in to give the Maroon & Gold the lead they would never relinquish.
Iona had only ten free throw attempts heading into the fourth quarter. During the final ten minutes of play, the Gaels took to the charity stripe 19 times, knocking down 15 of their attempts.
Lizarazu hit ten of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter to act as the clincher for the Gaels.
Robinson had 12 points, and sophomore Philecia Gilmore had seven points in her second straight start.
The Gaels shot 47.5% for the game, and 35.7% from beyond the arc. The fast break was an effective tool against the methodical Hawks, Iona had an 11-0 advantage in transition points.
Fairbanks finished the game with a team-high 19 points for the Hawks, Fioravanti wasn't far behind with 18. Saint Joseph's shot 48.9% for the game, and 42.9% from beyond the arc.
Iona's next game will be at George Washington on Sunday, Dec. 20. Tipoff set for 12 PM.
