HAMDEN, CT – The Iona College women's basketball program dropped its third straight game Friday night, falling to the Quinnipiac Bobcats in Hamden, CT, 53-45. The Gaels were unable to win despite scoring a combined 34 points off second chance opportunities and turnovers.
Iona and Quinnipiac combined for 11 turnovers in the first quarter. The Gaels converted the Bobcat miscues into seven points, allowing them to close the opening frame with a slim 12-11 edge. Sophomore Alexis Lewis had seven points and two rebounds to lead the Maroon & Gold's initial choppy offense.
Quinnipiac sophomore Aryn McClure, the reigning MAAC Player of the Week, picked up her second personal foul with 1:10 to go in the first. She wouldn't see the floor until the start of the second half. Foul trouble began to mount for the Maroon & Gold as well; sophomore Treyanna Clay and freshman Tori Lesko each picked their second foul midway through the second quarter.
Freshman Amelia Motz broke a six-plus minute field goal drought with her second career three-pointer from the left corner to give the Maroon & Gold a 20-18 lead with 2:06 remaining in the second. They'd enter the halftime break with a 22-20 lead.
Lewis finished the first half with a team-high 12 points and 6 rebounds. The Gaels had 10 points off Quinnipiac turnovers, and seven second chance points.
Senior Adily Martucci and red-shirt sophomore Jen Fay each had seven points to lead the Bobcats. Head Coach Tricia Fabbri's team cut down on the turnovers in the second, committing just one in the frame.
Martucci extended her strong first half into the third. She hit on a pair of triples that gave the Bobcats a 29-26 lead with five minutes to go in the third. Quinnipiac hit on four of its first seven shots in the second half while Iona opened the second half shooting 2-for-8.
Having extended their lead to as many as eight, the Bobcats took a 38-33 lead into the start of the fourth quarter. After junior Sarah Shewan hit a three to open things up, the Maroon & Gold crew pushed the pedal with a 6-0 run that brought them back within two with 6:20 remaining.
Following a Quinnipiac timeout, Shewin and McClure made a pair of layups, putting the Bobcats up five with 4:53 remaining. Much like the second quarter, Iona was held without a field goal for over six minutes; Lesko made her second field goal of the fourth with 1:07 left to bring the Gaels within four.
As the clock wound down, the Bobcats offensive game plan was isolating the 2016 MAAC Rookie of the Year. McClure drew three fouls over the final two minutes and sunk a pair of free throws to seal the 53-45 final score.
Lewis finished with a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds for her tenth career double-double. Senior Karynda DuPree scored 10 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season.
Senior Marina Lizarazu dished out a team-high four assists but struggled from the floor, hitting 1-for-9 from the floor; she made her first attempt of the game then missed her following eight tries.
Iona shot 28.8% from the floor, 30.8% from the three-point line, and 57.9% from the free throw line. The Gaels had a +10 rebounding margin, including a seven rebound edge in the offensive boards. The Bobcats quelled the extra chances for Iona with 11 steals of their own; they forced 18 Maroon & Gold turnovers.
McClure led Quinnipiac with 13 points, three rebounds, and a game-high four steals. Martucci had a team-high 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting.
Iona returns to action this Sunday, Feb. 19 against the Fairfield Stags at the Hynes Athletics Center at 2 PM. Prior to the game, head coach Billi Godsey and the entire coaching staff will honor Lizarazu DuPree as part of senior and alumni day festivities.
