ALBANY, NY – It took six tries, but the Iona College women's basketball program has finally beaten Marist in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship tournament game; on Sunday, March 6, the Gaels earned a trip to the 2016 title game with a nerve-wracking 57-53 win over the Red Foxes.
Tomorrow at 2:30 pm, the Gaels will be competing against top-seeded Quinnipiac for a chance to dance in the NCAA Tournament. It is the fourth ever championship appearance for the Maroon & Gold, and the first where their opponent won't be Marist. The last time Iona was playing on the final game of the tournament was in 2013 at the Mass Mutual Center.
Junior Marina Lizarazu orchestrated one of her best performances of the season, scoring a game-high 22 points on nine-of-19 shooting. The All-MAAC First Team Selection hit a career-high four three-point field goals on six attempts; she also chipped in four rebounds and two assists.
Senior Joy Adams scored 10 points, all in the first half, and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. Sophomore Philecia Gilmore hit four shots from beyond the arc, three of which came in a back-and-fourth third quarter. The sharpshooter finished the game with 16 points, her first double-digit scoring effort since Feb. 1 at Canisius.
Gilmore started the scoring four Iona to begin the game, hitting a three point field goal deep off the left wing. That was just the beginning of a long-range barrage; Iona hit 45.8% from beyond the arc, seeing 11 triples fall through the nylon. The Red Foxes fell prey to the Gaels' first double-digit three-point field effort since the overtime win at Canisius in early February.
Marist sixth-year senior Tori Jarosz got off to a slow start, but come the second quarter, the MAAC Player of the Year turned it on. Scoring 10 in the frame, Jarosz brought life to the Red Foxes offense, and momentum was stacked against Iona heading into the locker room after senior Eileen Van Horn hit a shot at the buzzer to cut the Iona lead to five, 34-29.
One of the keys to Iona's lead at the break was their ability to regain control of possessions after a rocky start. After committing seven turnovers in the first quarter, the Gaels committed just one in the second, allowing themselves the opportunity to head into the locker room with a slight edge.
As the third quarter progressed, Head Coach Billi Godsey was beginning to see her offense stumble. Gilmore and Robinson started the period with a pair of threes, but following the buckets, the Gaels would got on a scoreless stretch that'd last just under five minutes.
The Red Foxes found themselves chipping away at the Gaels lead due in large part to their proficiency at the free throw line; Marist eight of 11 from the charity stripe during the third quarter, and 14/17 overall in the game.
Gilmore, as part of her huge third, made a massive triple to give Iona back some mojo. Her offense translated to defensive energy; the Gaels drew two offensive fouls on Jarosz in the closing minute of the quarter.
Come the fourth, the two teams were trading baskets at an even pace until the MAAC Player of the Year established her dominance for a stretch. Jarosz put in a bank-shot at 5:09 to get Marist within one, 50-49.
After a timely media timeout, Iona got a big defensive stop, and soon after Lizarazu made a huge three-pointer to give the Gaels back a four point lead. Marist got back within two, and handle possession of the ball with 50.7 seconds to go. Immediately after Head Coach Brian Giorgis called a timeout, the Gaels forced a turnover.
The Red Foxes stood tool on the defensive end following Iona's own stand, creating traffic for Lizarazu, leading to a shot clock violation.
With once last shot, Marist set up a final play to try and the time game. Inbounding the ball with 11 seconds left, Godsey's preaching of defensive standard rang true as MAAC-named Player of the Game Marina Lizarazu was able to swipe the ball away from Jarosz as she attempted to gather herself in the paint.
Gilmore would make two free throws left with six second remaining to seal the semifinal victory.
Tomorrow's MAAC Championship game between No. 2 Iona and No. 1 Quinnipiac will begin a 2:30 pm, and is being aired on ESPNU.
