NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College women's basketball got back in the win column Friday evening, taking down Siena for the second time this season. The Gaels defeated the Saints 63-51, and with the win, the Maroon & Gold improved to 14-3 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play this season.
Senior Aaliyah Robinson set a personal milestone in the process of the victory; the Branford, CT native notched her 1,000th career point on a layup at the 8:41 mark of the fourth quarter. Robinson becomes the 25th person in Iona program history to reach the 1K plateau; she also sits second in three-point field goals (228) and three-point field goal attempts (613), sitting only behind #ICWBB and MAAC All-Time Leading Scorer Damika Martinez.
Robinson finished with 13 points in the game, hitting three-of-six from long range, and four-of-seven from the floor overall.
Senior Joy Adams scored a game-high 21 points, hitting a season-high nine free throws on 13 attempts. Junior Marina Lizarazu dished out nine assists and scored eight points.
The Maroon & Gold defense stifled the Saints throughout the contest, holding Siena to 30.6% shooting, and 22.2% from beyond the arc.
The Gaels shot 34.5% from the floor, and just 22.7% from long range. However, Head Coach Billi Godsey enjoyed seeing her team hit on a season-high 20 of their 27 free throw attempts.
Siena never led in the contest as the Maroon & Gold led for over 38 minutes of the action. Iona scored 20 points in the paint, led largely by Adams' monstrous fifteen point second-half effort.
Siena was led by freshman Jackie Benitez with a team-high 18 points. Sophomore Denisha Petty-Evans poured in 10 points and pulled down six rebounds. The Saints, who had led the MAAC in steals per game, had just two swipes in the contest.
The Gaels continue their final regular season stretch at the Hynes Athletics Center this Sunday afternoon when they host the Saint Peter Peacocks. The two squads will tip off at 2 PM, and each will be wearing pink as it will be Breast Cancer Awareness day.
