NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College women's basketball team dropped its Saturday afternoon contest with Fairfield, 52-40. A two-point second quarter would doom the Gaels, as they could never overcome the double-digit deficit they faced at halftime.
GAME SUMMARY
The afternoon began with three pointers from Rachel Hakes and
Juana Camilion. After falling behind 8-3, a basket inside from
Lucia Becerra Perez and one from the outside by
Monica Barefield leveled the score.
A free throw from
Tori Lesko in the final minute pulled Iona within one point, but a late foul sent Callie Cavanaugh to the line. She extended Fairfield's lead to 16-13 at the end of the first quarter.
The turning point of the game, in hindsight, was Fairfield's second quarter. Consistent offense combined with good defense allowed the Stags to outscore Iona 11-2 in the period. Lou Lopez-Senechal scored the first of five straight baskets for the visitors.
De'jah Williams was responsible for Iona's lone bucket of the quarter, which also happened to be the final points of the half. Neither team could muster a point over the final four minutes, sending the game to halftime with Fairfield holding a 27-15 advantage.
Fairfield's lead grew to 14 points at the beginning of the second half, but Iona would use three straight baskets to get it back to single-digits. Up eight points midway through the third period, the Stags opened up a 15-point lead.
The Maroon & Gold clawed back in the fourth quarter, pulling within eight points and six points on two separate occasions. However, Mwai's three-pointer that got Iona within six points would be the final basket for the Gaels. Fairfield held Iona without a point for the final 3:23, closing out a 52-40 victory.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Lopez-Senechal played all 40 minutes and led all scorers, registering 13 points on 6-12 shooting.
- Mwai was the only Gael in double-figures, finishing with a team-high 11 points.
- Kendra Landy grabbed 11 rebounds. Lesko and Mwai both corralled seven rebounds, the high mark for the Maroon & Gold.
- Lopez-Senechal and Lesko dished out a game-high four assists.
- Camilion finished the afternoon with a game-best three steals. Three different Stags recorded a block, which was the game-high.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Mwai was Iona's leading scorer for the second straight contest. The sophomore also pulled down a new career-high seven rebounds.
- The Gaels shot 1-10 from the floor and 0-5 from beyond the arc in a two-point second quarter. Iona's three-point deficit after the first quarter grew to 12 points at halftime.
- Fairfield did not make a field goal in the final 8:03 of action. Iona finished the game 1 of its last 10 on field goals.
- The Stags shot a blistering 58.3 percent from the floor in the second half, compared to a 33.3 percent rate for the Maroon & Gold.
AROUND THE MAAC
- Marist bounced back and edged Manhattan, 71-66, at Draddy Gymnasium.
- Niagara eked out a victory over Monmouth, 73-70, in West Long Branch.
- Quinnipiac snuck past Canisius, 74-71.
UP NEXT
The Gaels complete their three-game homestand on Monday, January 20, welcoming Saint Peter's to New Rochelle. The game will be broadcasted on
ESPN+ and fans can follow along via
live stats.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Iona Women's Basketball: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
