MOUNT PLEASANT, MI – A strong second quarter allowed the Central Michigan Chippewas to take command of the game and send Iona to its sixth consecutive loss. The Gaels' offense was hot early on, but went stagnant in the second stanza and could never recover.
Morgan Rachu paced the Maroon & Gold with 20 points on 6-11 shooting from downtown.
GAME SUMMARY
The Maroon & Gold started fast, holding a lead over the Chippewas at the first media timeout and at the end of the period. Rachu found her stroke early on and her teammates found her; the senior connected on her first three tries from beyond the arc and allowed Iona to control a 13-6 lead midway through the opening frame.
Central Michigan made sure to not allow Rachu anymore open looks after the timeout, but
Juana Camilion picked up right where Rachu left off. The sophomore guard scored the final four points of the period to give the Gaels a 17-15 advantage after 10 minutes of action.
The Chippewas were on in the second quarter, shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor and outscoring the Gaels 25-6 in the frame. Gabrielle Bird, who scored a career-best 10 points vs. Marist in her last contest, scored 11 points in the second period alone. She connected on four three pointers and scored nine straight points over a two-minute span towards the end of the quarter.
Camilion, Rachu and
Paulla Weekes were responsible for Iona's six points in the period. The Gaels were held without a basket for the first three-plus minutes, as well as a four-plus minute span at the end of the quarter. Camilion's last-second layup ended that drought. The Gaels found themselves in a 17-point hole entering the halftime break.
The second half began with another Rachu triple, her fourth of the night. Camilion connected on both attempts from the free throw line at the 8:28 mark of the third quarter to trim the deficit to 15 points, but Iona's offense proceeded to go ice cold. Three straight Central Michigan baskets made it a 22-point game and forced
Billi Chambers to use a timeout.
De'jah Williams scored on fastbreak to cut it to an even 20 points between the Chippewas and the Gaels, but a 7-0 run over the next five minutes of action made it a 57-30 ballgame.
Iona trailed by 26 entering the final frame. Back-to-back triples from Camilion and Rachu made it 61-40 in the earlier portion of the period. Two free throws by Bird re-extended the lead to 27 points with just over three minutes remaining, allowing the Chippewas to empty their bench and cruise to a fourth straight victory at home.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Rachu had a team-leading 20 points and pulled down a game-high seven rebounds.
- Bird led all scorers with 21 points, connecting on 7-11 from the floor, including five three pointers.
- Micaela Kelly dished out a game-best six assists, though she turned the ball over a game-worst eight times.
- Shine Strickland-Gills registered two of her team's six blocks in the win.
- Camilion registered a game-best three steals in 34-plus minutes of action.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Rachu and Camilion were the only two scorers in double figures for Iona. The duo combined for 33 of the Gaels' 50 points.
- Rachu reached the 20-point plateau for the second straight game and the fourth time this season.
- The Gaels shot a combined 6-26 from the field in the second and third quarters. Iona outscored Central Michigan 17-15 in the first frame and 17-11 in the final frame.
- CMU turned 23 Iona turnovers into 32 points. The Chippewas also outscored the Gaels in the paint, 36-16.
- Shyan Mwai was held to just two points on 1-5 shooting. The sophomore has not scored more than six points in her last three contests after registering double-digits in the first three games of the year.
- Iona's bench registered 13 points, including Nikki Worner's first three of her collegiate career.
- The Maroon & Gold led for 9:18 of game action early on, but it succumbed in the second quarter and CMU never faltered.
AROUND THE MAAC
- Fordham defeated Manhattan 51-45 in a battle of the Bronx.
UP NEXT
The Gaels return to the Hynes Center to host Seton Hall on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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)
