JERSEY CITY, NJ – The Iona College women's basketball team wrapped up the 2018-19 regular season with a road victory over Saint Peter's, 58-53 on Thursday night. Junior guard
Morgan Rachu notched the first double-double of her career, scoring 12 points and collecting a game-high 10 rebounds.
GAME SUMMARY
Rachu opened up the game by drilling a three, receiving a nice pass from freshman
Juana Camilion to give the Gaels the lead just eight seconds into the game. The lead changed hands less than two minutes into the first quarter when Wil'lisha Jackson scored inside. Jackson scored eight eight of her game-high 15 points in the first frame for Saint Peter's. Iona led at the end of the quarter, 15-14; a late bucket inside by Tyara McQueen made it a one-point difference after the opening period.
Just over a minute into the second quarter, the Peacocks evened things up once more. Freshman
Gabrielle Joseph scored two baskets inside on two consecutive possessions before the media timeout to give Iona a four-point advantage. That prior bucket from the rookie at 5:38 would be the Maroon & Gold's last points of the half. Saint Peter's would score four more points over that same time frame to tie things up at the halftime break.
Zoe Pero and the Peacocks would strike first in the second half, but Rachu laid one in 15 seconds later to make it 25-25. Over a three-minute span, the Gaels would hold the host Peacocks scoreless and extend the lead to eight points. A
Monica Barefield three-pointer with a minute and a half left in the third quarter would once again keep the advantage at eight points. The scoreboard read 39-33, in favor of the visitors, entering the fourth quarter.
Both teams traded baskets back and forth over the first half of the final frame, with Iona consistently keeping it a two-possession game. Pero scored inside at the 3:58 mark to finally bring the Peacocks within one bucket of taking the lead. Camilion had the answer for Iona though, crossing over a defender at the top of the key to free herself enough space to knock down a clutch shot from downtown. Jackson provided the answer for Saint Peter's, but it was Camilion's bucket once again that gave the Maroon & Gold a comfortable cushion for the moment. Leading by four with under 1:30 to play, it became a battle between the two squads at the free throw. The Gaels connected on seven of their last eight free throw attempts to seal the win and end the regular season on a high note.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Morgan Rachu's double-double was the first of her Division I career and just the second time this season an Iona player has accomplished the feat.
- Monica Barefield quietly had a good game for the Gaels, posting five points, five rebounds and five assists.
- After scoring 27 points in the first meeting between the two teams in New Rochelle, the Maroon & Gold held Zoe Pero to 10 points on 3-14 shooting from the floor.
- Iona did not shoot a free throw until the final two minutes of the contest. The Gaels converted on 7-8 from the stripe to win their fourth game of the 2018-19 season.
- As a defensive unit, the Maroon & Gold had a season-high six blocks; Jodi-Marie Ramil swatted a career-best four shots.
- The lead changed hands eight times over the course of the night, despite Iona leading for 31-plus minutes.
- The Gaels enter the MAAC tournament coming off of a win for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
UP NEXT
The 2019 MAAC Championship will begin on March 7. Iona is locked in as the number 10 seed; they will await results on Saturday to see who will finish as the seventh seed. The No. 7 vs. No. 10 game will tip off at 11:30 a.m. at the Times Union Center on March 7.
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