ROCK HILL, SC – The Iona College women's basketball team overcame a 13-point deficit to win its season-opener, 68-60 over Winthrop. Shyan Mwai and Morgan Rachu hit six three-pointers apiece and combined for 43 of Iona's 68 points in the win over Winthrop.

GAME SUMMARY

Juana Camilion got Iona on the scoreboard first, connecting on the first of two free throw attempts in the opening minute. Rachu hit on a three the following possession, but Iona's offense went cold after that. Tori Lesko's jumper at the 5:36 mark ended a three-minute scoring drought between the two sides and increased the Gaels' lead to 6-2.
 
Winthrop rebounded from its scoreless drought, using a 9-4 run to close out the quarter with a narrow 11-10 advantage.  
 
An 11-0 run for Winthrop over a 1:53 span in the second quarter forced Iona head coach Billi Chambers to use a timeout. Out of the break, Iona turned it over and allowed another Winthrop bucket. The Gaels were without a basket for almost five minutes before Mwai crossed over and knocked down a jumper from beyond the arc. On the very next possession, Mwai trimmed the deficit to seven points with another three from the corner, forcing a Winthrop timeout.
 
The Gaels entered the half trailing 33-22, and it could have been more, if not for a charge taken by Tori Lesko in the final seconds of the period. 
 
Both sides came out of the gates hot to begin the second half, trading buckets back and forth up until the first media timeout. Iona had gotten as close as seven points, but that lead for Winthrop was pushed to nine at the halfway mark of the third quarter.
 
Every time the Gaels scored to get a little bit closer, the Eagles had an answer. It wasn't until the Maroon & Gold strung together back-to-back stops, followed by a Mwai bucket, that the Gaels would get within five points. As was the case for the entire period, the Eagles would answer and maintain the lead for the time being.
 
Rachu buried a three with just over 30 seconds to play in the quarter and then another as the buzzer sounded, getting the Gaels within one possession of the lead heading into the final period of regulation.
 
The Eagles opened up the fourth quarter with a made basket, but Iona proceeded to rip off 14 straight points over four-plus minutes and take a 60-50 lead. A balanced scoring attack coupled with some good defense allowed the Maroon & Gold to grab the largest lead of the evening.
 
Kem Nwabudu scored inside on two consecutive trips down the floor for the Eagles to cut Iona's lead to 60-54 with just over two minutes remaining. Winthrop's best chance to get back into the game was after Paulla Weekes missed both of her free throws with 2:24 to play. After a Miquela Santoro miss, Lesko picked up her teammate and hit on both of her free throws on the opposite end the make it an eight-point lead again.
 
Winthrop continued to fight, connecting on four tries from the charity stripe to get within five points of the lead. However, Iona would also convert on its free throws down the stretch, securing a win in the season-opener.

STATISTICAL LEADERS

• Mwai led all scorers with 22 points on 7-17 shooting from the floor, including a 6-10 mark from three-point range.
• Rachu had a team-high nine rebounds, finishing one board shy of a double-double. She also added six threes in the win.
• Lesko stuffed the stat sheet; the junior amassed eight points, eight assists and six rebounds.
• Camilion, Lesko, Rachu and Weekes all registered one steal. Lesko had the lone rejection of the evening for the Gaels.
• Williams was the leading scorer off of the bench for Iona, scoring six points and grabbing six boards in her Maroon & Gold debut.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• Iona's season-opening win is its first since the Gaels topped Stony Brook 57-46 on November 11, 2016. It is the first season-opening victory on the road since November 14, 2014 when the Maroon & Gold beat Fordham.
• Winthrop took a 28-15 lead after a 15-0 run in the second quarter, while also holding the Gaels scoreless for a 4:40 second span.
• Iona used a 14-0 run in the opening portion of the fourth quarter to regain the lead and extend it to double digits for the first time.
• Iona was 2-6 from the charity stripe in the first half. The team finished 7-11 down the stretch in the second half.
• The Gaels shot 50% or better in the third and fourth quarters, finishing at a 40% clip from the field for the night. Iona held Winthrop to 4-19 shooting in the fourth quarter.
• As a unit, the Maroon & Gold scored 46 of its 68 points in the second half. The Gaels poured in a game-high 24 points in the third period of play.

AROUND THE MAAC

• Seton Hall rolled over Fairfield, 74-44, in South Orange, New Jersey.
• Penn cruised past Siena, 92-44, on Saturday afternoon.
• Niagara fell versus in-state rival Buffalo 81-67.
• Bucknell beat Monmouth 71-37 in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

UP NEXT

Iona returns home to play its first regular season contest in the newly renovated Hynes Athletics Center on Friday, November 15 against Duquesne. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and will tip-off at 7:00 p.m.

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