RIVERDALE, NY - The Iona College women's basketball team lost to Manhattan 64-59 on Thursday night at Draddy Gymnasium.
Ketsia Athias,
Juana Camilion and
Shyan Mwai all scored in double-figures, led by Athias' 18 points.
It was a slow start for the Maroon & Gold offensively, who found themselves behind 7-0 and burning a timeout just over three minutes into the evening. After the quick break, Mwai converted on one-of-two free throws and Olivia Vezaldenos drained a three to make it 7-4. Just after the midway point of the opening stanza, Iona got baskets from Camilion, Marina Cenis and Thoranna Hodge-Carr to grab a 10-9 lead. An Emily LaPointe layup put the Jaspers in front momentarily before the Gaels closed the quarter with points from Camilion and Athias to carry a 14-11 advantage into the second quarter.
The home team began the second frame by scoring nine of the opening 11 points and going out in front 20-14. Iona answered by scoring eight of the next 10 points to once again go ahead, 24-22. Manhattan closed the gap over the final two minutes of the half, holding Iona without a point during that span and grabbing a 28-26 lead at the intermission.
The second half was a dog fight, seeing both teams trade blows back and forth for the entire 20 minutes. A pair of early triples from Brazil Harvey-Carr graced the Jaspers with a seven-point advantage, its largest lead of the second half. From that point on, no side led by more than five points. With four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Gaels erased the deficit and evened the score at 41 after an Athias basket in the paint. The final four minutes of the period featured just four makes, two on each side, sending the game into the final frame tied at 46-46.
Athias started the fourth quarter by converting a pair of free throws and scoring inside to push Iona in front 50-46. A 12-3 run spanning five-plus minutes followed, putting Manhattan ahead 58-53. The Maroon & Gold clawed back, twice coming within one point of the Jaspers, but could not overcome the deficit fully. Manhattan held Iona scoreless over the final 90 seconds of action and iced the game at the charity stripe, escaping with a nail-biting 64-59 victory in Riverdale.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Athias finished with a game-high 18 points on 8-13 shooting. It was her second best scoring performance of her career, topped only by her 20-point effort earlier this season against Monmouth. She finished two rebounds shy of her second career double-double.
- Camilion and Mwai added 12 points. Camilion finished with a season-high three blocks, while Mwai matched a career-best with her five assists and three steals.
- As a unit, Iona blocked five shots, a season-best. Athias and Mwai added one apiece on top of Camilion's three.
- The Gaels attempted 24 three-pointers, their second most this season. They made just four, matching their second lowest mark of the season.
- Manhattan out-rebounded Iona 43-30 and 17-6 on the offensive glass. The Maroon & Gold forced 15 Manhattan turnovers and ended the night with a 9-5 edge in steals.
- The Jaspers have now won ten straight over the Gaels and lead the overall series history 54-32.
UP NEXT
The Gaels return to action on Saturday, January 15 at noon against Quinnipiac. The Gaels and the Bobcats matchup will be streamed live on ESPN3.
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)
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