JERSEY CITY, NJ – Leading by 14 entering the fourth quarter, the Iona College women's basketball team collapsed and allowed Saint Peter's to rally behind a 31-point quarter and win, 55-50. The Gaels await the result of Marist/Siena for their seeding in the conference tournament, which will either be No. 6 or 7.

GAME SUMMARY

The story of the game was the fourth quarter. A Shyan Mwai triple in the final seconds of the third quarter gave the Gaels a 39-24 lead and an extra boost of momentum heading into the game's final quarter. The Peacocks would erase that deficit, taking a lead, their first of the game, in the final minute.
 
Juana Camilion scored inside with just over four minutes left to give Iona a 49-39 edge. The lead grew to 11 points with a Paulla Weekes free throw at the 3:31 mark. Saint Peter's scored the final 16 points of the game, holding Iona scoreless and stealing a win in the regular-season finale.
 
Kendrea Williams connected on a corner three with 54 seconds remaining to give the Peacocks a 51-50 lead, their first lead of the contest. The bucket forced head coach Billi Chambers to use a timeout.
 
Out of the timeout, Camilion missed on a layup inside, forcing the Gaels to foul and send Briyanah Richardson to the line. The sophomore made one-of-two at the stripe, making it a 52-50 game. Out of another 30-second timeout, Morgan Rachu misfired on a three pointer, once again giving Saint Peter's an opportunity to ice the game at the free throw line with the shot clock turned off.
 
Gabrielle Harris missed the first free throw and made the second and it remained a one-possession ballgame. The Gaels last-second shot came off the side of the rim and bounced out of bounds with two seconds left. Williams sunk two from the charity stripe, spelling the end of the afternoon for Iona.
 
It was a strong first half for Iona to begin the game, heading into the locker room with a 23-15 edge. Camilion and Rachu had nine points apiece at the break, more than half of the Gaels' total points. The Maroon & Gold held the Peacocks to 4-22 shooting from the field overall and an 0-7 mark from downtown.
 
The Gaels didn't let up; in fact, they played their best statistical quarter of the afternoon to begin the second half. Zoe Pero scored inside to trim the deficit to eight points in the opening minute, but the Gaels scored the next two baskets and held Saint Peter's scoreless for over three minutes to build a 28-17 lead.
 
A trifecta from Mwai with two minutes to play made it 34-26 in favor of Iona, and Saint Peter's would be held without a point for the final 2:26. Mwai's shot in the final seconds closed out the quarter before the Peacocks' comeback began in the fourth period. 

STATISTICAL LEADERS

• Pero finished with a game-high 17 points, adding 10 rebounds to notch a double-double.
• Rachu's 12 rebounds were the most individually. 11 of her 12 rebounds came on the defensive end of the floor.
• Camilion and Weekes dished out three assists apiece, a game-high. 
• Rachu finished with a game-best three steals. Pero and Mwai each got credit for a blocked shot.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• Rachu pulled down a new career-high rebounds (12) and finished a point shy of her third career double-double.
• Saint Peter's scored 31 points in the fourth quarter, erasing a 14-point deficit and turning it into a five-point victory.
• All five of Saint Peter's baskets from beyond the arc came in the fourth frame. They had previously missed all eight attempts in the first three quarters.
• The Peacocks led for just 55 seconds. Iona held the advantage for 37:42 and its largest lead was 15 points at the end of the third period.
• The Gaels forced 15 turnovers and converted them into 16 points. Iona gave it away 16 times, but it only led to six points for Saint Peter's.
• Camilion finished with a team-high 14 points for the Maroon & Gold on 5-14 shooting. The sophomore reached double-figures for the 18^th time this season and has now led the unit in scoring in 10 games.
• Mwai had the lone blocked shot for Iona; it marked the fifth time in her career and third time this season she has recorded a block in a game.
• The loss is the first of Chambers' career versus Saint Peter's. She was previously 13-0 against the Peacocks.

AROUND THE MAAC

• Quinnipiac swept the Buffalo trip, defeating Canisius on its senior day, 63-57.
• Fairfield cruised to a 71-49 victory over Niagara at home.
• Rider clinched the number one seed in the conference with a dramatic 50-49 win over Monmouth. Amari Johnson scored the game-winning basket with 0.5 seconds left on the clock.

UP NEXT

Iona prepares for the 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships, where they will play a to-be-determined opponent in the opening round on Tuesday, March 10.

A Siena loss would force the Gaels and Saints into a tiebreaker, decided by a coin flip, for the sixth seed. If the Saints defeat Marist, they will clinch the No. 6 seed outright.
 
Stay tuned to ICGaels.com and MAACSports.com for additional championship information.

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)
 
Tweet #ICWBB
Tweet #MAACHoops
Tweet #GaelNation