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Iona University Athletics

Juana Camilion
Stockton Photo Inc.
65
Winner Massachusetts UMASS 9-3
51
Iona ION 1-8
Winner
Massachusetts UMASS
9-3
65
Final
51
Iona ION
1-8
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Massachusetts UMASS 13 13 19 20 65
Iona ION 8 11 20 12 51

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Jack Clark

Iona Falls to UMass in Non-Conference Finale, 65-51

Morgan Rachu and Juana Camilion paced the Maroon & Gold with a combined 25 points offensively.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY – A back and forth affair between the University of Massachusetts and Iona College ultimately tilted in favor of the Minutewomen. The Gaels were put away in the fourth quarter, allowing UMass to connect on over 50 percent of its field goals. Morgan Rachu and Juana Camilion paced the Maroon & Gold with a combined 25 points offensively. 

GAME SUMMARY

The Minutewomen jumped out to an early 10-point advantage, holding the Gaels scoreless for the opening 4:53 of action. Rachu connected on a jumper to get Iona on the scoreboard at the 5:07 mark of the first quarter.
 
UMass answered, and then Shyan Mwai did too with a triple, trimming the deficit to seven points. Rachu beat the buzzer from behind the arc at the end of the frame to make it a 13-8 game after the first 10 minutes.
 
The Maroon & Gold carried the momentum into the second stanza, using an 11-0 run to grab a 16-13 lead and force a timeout. Out of the break, the Minutewomen ripped off 11 straight points to retake the lead, 24-16, with two minutes to play. A Mwai three-pointer, followed by a steal and score for UMass made it 26-19 in favor of the Minutewomen at the half.
 
Hailey Leidel opened the scoring in the second half, giving the Minutewomen a nine-point lead early on. A triple from Rachu and two made free throws by Paulla Weekes made it 28-24 just a minute into the third period.
 
A seven-point swing saw the Maroon & Gold take a 36-35 lead with just under three minutes left. Gabrielle Joseph scored inside on a second chance opportunity, which Camilion followed up with a steal and a pass ahead to Mwai, who was fouled on the way up. The sophomore made the first of two shots from the charity stripe, but missed the second. De'jah Williams ripped down the rebound, finding Camilion for a jumper in the lane that made it a one-point game. Camilion then forced another UMass turnover and Joseph's bucket inside would give the Gaels a 36-35 lead and force a Minutewomen timeout.
 
UMass threw away its lead, but took it right back out of the timeout. Leidel buried a three and then finished a three-point play the old fashioned way to put her side in front 41-36 with 90 seconds left in the third. The Minutewomen scored 10 of the final 13 points to take a 45-39 lead into the final frame.
 
The two teams traded buckets back and forth to begin the fourth, but the Gaels would eventually find themselves facing a double-digit deficit with six minutes left in regulation. Vashnie Perry's step-back jumper pushed the lead to 55-45 and forced Iona head coach Billi Chambers to call a timeout. The Gaels had been held scoreless for two-and-a-half minutes.
 
It would be four minutes before Iona scored again, making at a 12-point disadvantage for the Gaels after Tori Lesko's basket. UMass led by as much as 14 points with 2:00 on the clock and proceeded to close out the 65-51 victory at the Hynes Center.

STATISTICAL LEADERS

  • Rachu finished with a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds. The senior was 5-16 from the floor and 4-12 from behind the arc.
  • Camilion had a game-high five assists and a new career-best six steals in the loss.
  • Leidel led all scorers with 21 points. Perry added 19 of her own.
  • Maeve Donnelly missed out on a double-double by one point, finishing with a game-leading 11 rebounds.
  • Joseph recorded two blocks, a new career-high for the sophomore.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • The Minutewomen scored 38 of their 65 points in the paint and registered 17 second-chance points.
  • The Gaels forced 20 UMass turnovers and scored 16 points off of the miscues.
  • Camilion grabbed five rebounds, a new best for the 2019-20 season.
  • Joseph's four points were a season-best for the sophomore. Lucia Becerra Perez tied a season-high with her four points as well.
  • Williams finished with seven points, four rebounds and an assist.
  • Iona's 11 steals were a season-high defensively.
  • The lead changed hands four times, but the Minutewomen held the advantage for 36 of 40 minutes.

AROUND THE MAAC

  • Quinnipiac downed Rhode Island 75-63 in Hamden.
  • Saint Peter's fell at the hands of Fairleigh Dickinson at home, 77-71.

UP NEXT

Iona returns to action after the turn of the calendar to begin league play. The Gaels will travel to face the Quinnipiac Bobcats on January 2 at 6:00 p.m.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Be sure to follow Iona women's basketball and Iona College athletics on our social media platforms.
ICGaels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
Iona Women's Basketball: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)



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