NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Carried by three players recording career-best scoring total, the Iona College women's basketball team earned an overriding 70-53 win over rival Manhattan in its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener. In addition to the personal accolades, the Gaels recorded a season-best 19 team assists and seven made three-point field goals.
Sophomore Alexis Lewis led all scorer with a career-high 26 points on 8-for-20 shooting. She made a career-high six shots from beyond the arc, tying the previous Iona team-high for a single game set three-times earlier this season. Lewis now has scored at least 20 points in four straight games, and has led the Gaels in scoring in each of said contests.
With a game-best 12 rebounds to go along with her scoring, Lewis now has three double-doubles in her last four games. She had seven offensive rebounds, marking the third time this season she's pulled down at least five second-chance opportunities.
Senior Karynda DuPree scored a career-high 16 points on a personal-best eight made field goals. She now has four double-digit scoring games this season, all coming in the last five games. DuPree shot 8-for-11 from the floor and made the most of three offensive rebounds. She finished with seven boards total in addition to one block and one steal.
Sophomore Treyanna Clay tied her career-high with 15 points on a personal best five field goals. She also made a season-best five free throws on seven chances. Clay now has 23 points in her past two games after scoring just 20 points in her first five outings this season. Defensively, she added one block and tied a season-best with two blocks.
Iona came out guns-a-blazing, opening up a nine point lead in over the course of the first three minutes of the game. Manhattan was able to chip away with back-to-back threes by junior Nyasha Irizarry and senior Nicole Anderson.
The Gaels took a 15-14 lead into the second quarter. Lewis, coming off a strong outing against VCU, continued her torrid scoring early on against the Jaspers. Using back-to-back triples at the start of the second, the reigning MAAC Player of the Week netted 15 points in the first 11 minutes of the game.
Using a 12-to-4 points advantage in the paint, the Maroon & Gold expanded their lead to six come halftime. The Gaels shot a game best 47.1% from the floor in the second frame, hitting on 8-of-17 from the field. DuPree and Lewis combined for 27 of Iona's 35 first half points.
Come the second-half, the Maroon & Gold saw its leading margin grow as high as 23 come the fourth quarter when freshman Tori Lesko made the Gaels final basket of the game at the 3:30 mark of the fourth.
Lesko finished with a team-high and career-high nine assists to go along with a personal best team rebounds. Senior Marina Lizarazu dished out a season-best seven assists while scoring nine points. Iona entered the game with a MAAC leading rebounding margin, and the advantage will increase going into the weekend after the Gaels finished +16 in tonight's game. The Jaspers allowed an Iona-best 20 offensive rebounds.
Iona has now won its last five MAAC-openers, and eight of its last nine against the Jaspers. Head coach Billi Godsey is now 51-16 against the MAAC in her career.
The Gaels return to action this Sunday afternoon against Fairfield. The Stags host the Maroon & Gold at 2 PM in Alumni Hall.
