NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College women's basketball team earned its first MAAC win of the season on Saturday afternoon, defeating the preseason favorite Quinnipiac Bobcats 52-47 at the Hynes Center.
Ketsia Athias (12),
Juana Camilion (14) and
Olivia Vezaldenos (14) all scored in double-figures to pave the way for the Maroon & Gold.
Quinnipiac opened up an early 8-4 lead halfway through the first frame. Iona's points came from layups from Athias and Camilion. A Mackenzie DeWees layup made it 10-7 in favor of the visitors, but the Maroon & Gold ended the quarter on a 6-0 run over the final 2:26 to grab a 13-10 lead after one.
The second quarter was back-and-forth on both sides, but the difference at the break proved to be Iona's three-point shooting. Camilion, Judith Gomez and Vezaldenos all knocked one down. Camilion's triple with 5:08 left in the half padded the Gaels lead to eight points, 20-12, the largest of the day. Quinnipiac moved within four points of the lead on back-to-back possessions, but a three from Gomez and a layup by Vezaldenos made it a 29-20 game. The Bobcats went without a field goal over the final 2:32, their only points coming from Rose Caverly at the line. Iona led 29-22 after 20 full minutes in New Rochelle.
Iona maintained its lead throughout the entire third quarter, never allowing Quinnipiac to come within more than two possessions of the lead. A layup for the Bobcats opened the scoring, trimming the deficit to five points, but Iona's offense had an answer for every Bobcat make beyond that and the Gaels carried a 44-34 advantage into the final stanza.
Despite making just one field goal in the fourth quarter, Iona managed to pull out the victory. The Bobcats came as close as three points away from evening the score in the final minute, but clutch free throws from Shyan Mwai were the difference down the stretch in helping Iona secure the 52-47 victory over the preseason favorites.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Vezaldenos matched a season-high with 14 points. She has reached double-figures in six games this season. Iona is now 1-5 in those games and 6-8 overall in games where she has scored at least 10 points during her Maroon & Gold career.
- Athias registered the second double-double of her season and career with a 12-point, 10-rebound effort, playing a career-high 39 minutes.
- Camilion finished with a team-high 14 points, marking the ninth time in eleven games that she has scored double-digit points. She shot 50 percent (6-12) from the field and added six rebounds.
- As a team, Iona shot 45 percent from the floor and from beyond the three-point arc. The Gaels' team three-point percentage was a season high.
- The Gaels accumulated 11 steals as a team, the third time this season they have registered double-figures in the defensive category. In all three wins this season, Iona has had at least 10 steals.
- Defensively, Iona limited Quinnipiac to 2-13 shooting from three (15 percent), its second lowest mark from three-point range this year.
- The Gaels defeated the Bobcats in New Rochelle for the first time since January 28, 2017. Iona is now 7-11 all-time against Quinnipiac.
UP NEXT
Iona is back in action on Thursday, January 20 against Marist. The Gaels and the Red Foxes tip-off at the Hynes Center at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN3.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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