RIVERDALE, NY – The Iona College women's basketball team fell short on Sunday afternoon at Manhattan, 48-44. The Gaels led for a majority of the contest, but the Jaspers took a late lead and held off the Maroon & Gold to complete the weekend sweep.
GAME SUMMARY
Iona was in complete control to open up play on Sunday, shutting down the Jasper offense through the first seven minutes of play. The Gaels got out to a 7-0 lead and did not surrender a point until the 2:58 mark. Manhattan got two free throws from Dee-Dee Davis, which would be the final points of the period. Iona led 7-4 after the opening stanza.
Courtney Warley began the scoring in the second quarter, pulling the Jaspers within one.
Ketsia Athias scored her second basket of the game a minute later to make it 9-6. The Jaspers tied it at nine apiece on a triple from Davis with 5:39 to play, but Iona's defense did not allow a field goal over the final five-plus minutes of the half.
Olivia Vezaldenos nailed a shot from beyond the arc in the final minute of the frame, helping Iona match its largest lead of the game, seven points. The Maroon & Gold carried a 19-12 lead into the halftime break, holding the Jaspers to just 3-25 shooting from the floor (12 percent).
Manhattan opened half number two with six straight points, but the Gaels answered back with a 6-2 run of their own to maintain a two-possession lead. Gabby Cajou took matters into her own hands at that point, scoring seven consecutive points in a 74-second span to give Manhattan its first lead of the afternoon, 27-25.
Neither side scored a basket across the closing three minutes of the period. Vezaldenos converted on two free throws to tie the game at 27 all in the final minute, before Pamela Miceus hit one-of-two from the stripe and allow the Jaspers to cling onto a 28-27 lead after three.
Iona took the lead back once more on a Vezaldenos jumper in the opening minute of the final frame, but surrendered it almost immediately. A quick 6-0 spurt for the Gaels put them back in front, 35-31, as the game approached the midway point of the fourth quarter.
Shyan Mwai and Davis traded free throws on back-to-back possessions, keeping it a one-point affair in favor of Iona. The Jaspers regained the advantage on a tough bucket inside by Emily LaPointe, her first points of the day. With just under four minutes to play,
Lucia Becerra Perez scored in transition on a feed from Camilion to give the Maroon & Gold a 39-38 lead.
The Jaspers scored the next seven points, five of which came at the free throw line, to grab a 45-39 lead with less than a minute remaining in regulation. Camilion scored twice in the final minute, the second of which was a three from straight away that pulled Iona within two with 11 seconds to play. Iona sent Dee-Dee Davis to the line after a timeout with a chance to essentially ice the game. She converted both from the stripe, and with no timeouts remaining, Iona rushed up the floor needing a miracle. Camilion tried one from deep, but missed, and Warley corralled the rebound to end the game.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Dee-Dee Davis poured in a game-high 18 points. Half of her points came at the free throw line (9-12 FT). Camilion finished with a team-leading 14 points.
- Athias gathered a game-best 10 rebounds. She finished two points shy of a double-double.
- Six different players dished out a game-high two assists. Athias and Camilion were the leaders for the Maroon & Gold.
- Camilion and Davis garnered two steals. Athias and Dublin swatted two shots apiece.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Iona had been 3-0 in games that they led at the half this season. Manhattan scored 36 second-half points, 20 in the fourth quarter, to upend the Gaels.
- The Maroon & Gold limited the Jaspers to 28.6% shooting from the floor for the game, but the difference was Manhattan's 16 points from the free throw line.
- Today marked the fifth time this season that the Gaels defense held an opponent under 50 points (3-2 in such games). Before this season, Iona had lost just one game (22-1) when holding opponents under 50 points during Billi Chambers' tenure.
- Athias finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. She is the second Gael this season to pull down 10 or more rebounds in a game.
- After allowing 21 second-chance points and scoring zero of their own yesterday, the Gaels scored six second-chance points today and allowed just five.
- The two teams combined for 38 turnovers. Each side had nine steals and 14 points off of turnovers.
- The Gaels sent out their fourth different starting lineup of the season (Athias, Becerra, Camilion, Hodge-Carr and King). Athias and King made the first starts of their Maroon & Gold career.
- Iona's bench contributed 20 points, half of which came from Vezaldenos. The senior reached double-digit points for the sixth time this season.
AROUND THE MAAC
- Rider avoided a weekend sweep, topping Niagara 68-54 at Alumni Gymnasium.
- Marist downed Siena 60-44, increasing its position at the top of the league table.
- Garden State opponents Monmouth and Saint Peter's tip off at 8:30 p.m. in Jersey City, New Jersey.
UP NEXT
The Gaels play three games at home in New Rochelle this upcoming week. Iona hosts Fairfield for a single game on Wednesday, February 17 at 4:00 p.m. and then Marist on Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21. The Maroon & Gold and Red Foxes are scheduled to tip at 2:00 p.m. on both days.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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