WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – The Iona College women's basketball team earned its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win of the 2019 season, 52-51 over Monmouth. Freshman
Juana Camilion scored 11 points, the two biggest points coming with 2.2 seconds left, propelling the Maroon & Gold to their first win in over 20 games.
GAME SUMMARY
Iona scored seven straight points after Monmouth's Alexa Wallace opened up the scoring with two free throws. The Gaels knocked down their first three tries from long range to open up a 10-3 lead with just over four minutes left in the quarter. The Hawks' accrued their first three points of the game from the foul line; their first five field goal attempts missed before Alexa Middleton finally connected on a layup inside with 3:48 left. Erica Balman provided an offensive spark for Monmouth late in the frame, scoring twice with ease inside to pull Monmouth closer. However, Iona continued to stroke it from three and a
Jodi-Marie Ramil buzzer beater gave the Gaels a 16-13 lead after the first.
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Monmouth and Iona traded blows for the majority of the second quarter, as the Hawks tried to take the lead back from the Gaels. Iona extended its lead to five points on two different occasions in the period, but Monmouth battled back in the closing minutes to make it a two-point game heading into the locker rooms.
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Iona maintained its slim lead for five minutes in the second half before Monmouth's Sierra Green got on the board for the first time with a three-ball to give the Hawks a 37-35 lead. The deficit for Iona would grow as large as seven in the quarter but a
Monica Barefield three-pointer at the end of the frame would cut it back to four points.
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It took more than two minutes for the first points to be scored in the fourth quarter. Iona did not score until the 7:21 mark but by the 4:58 mark they had cut the deficit all the way down to one point. Neither team scored for almost three minutes before Monmouth got a basket from Alexa Middleton to pad their lead. After cutting it back down to one with under a minute left in the final frame, Iona sent Emani Clough to the line to try and extend the Hawks lead. Clough missed both of her free throws and the Gaels were back in possession of the ball with a chance to win. Camilion drove to the left side of the basket and missed her initial shot, but was able to collect her own offensive rebound and sink the shot from in close to give Iona the lead with 2.2 ticks left. Monmouth's last chance opportunity was intercepted by
Gabrielle Joseph and the Gaels came away with the victory.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- The Gaels defense locked down in the fourth quarter, holding Monmouth to just five points on 2-9 FG.
- Iona forced a season-high 27 Monmouth turnovers; they converted them into 19 points on offense.
- The Maroon & Gold had great production from their bench, outscoring the Hawks 20-14. Barefield and Shayla Middlebrooks combined for 18 of the 20 bench points for Iona.
- The Gaels opened up the game shooting 6-of-8 from deep, missing their final three to end the half shooting 6-of-11 from three. The team hit just one three in the second half, finishing 7-18 from beyond the arc.
- Redshirt sophomore Tori Lesko drew a game-high nine fouls, including a couple of key charges to help turn momentum in favor of Iona.
- The lead switched hands three times throughout the course of the game and the Maroon & Gold led for exactly 24 minutes.
- Iona now owns a 10-9 advantage in the series history over Monmouth.
UP NEXT
Iona returns home to the Hynes Center to host Saint Peter's on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 1:00 p.m. Iona will honor senior
Amelia Motz and senior manager Jada Harris prior to the beginning of the game.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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