NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College women's basketball team defeated Rider 65-58 in the Gaels final home game of the regular season on Thursday night. Four Gaels scored in double-figures, led by
Juana Camilion's 17 points.
Ketsia Athias notched her second consecutive double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Iona controlled the game in the early going, jumping out to a 9-0 lead after Olivia Vezaldenos knocked down her second three-pointer of the evening at the 6:26 mark of the period. Rider got on the board after being held scoreless for the opening four minutes, managing to battle back to within four points. Iona closed the quarter leading 15-9 thanks to baskets from Vezaldenos and Isabelle Lipinski.
The Gaels lead grew to nine points on two occasions in the second quarter, but struggled to extend it further. The Broncs limited the Gaels to just three points in the final eight-plus minutes of action, including a run of seven minutes where the Maroon & Gold did not score. In that span, Rider trimmed its deficit to three points, 20-17, but the three points came on a trifecta at the end of the shot clock by Camilion that made it 23-17 before the break.
The Maroon & Gold ran their lead up to 10 points in the opening minute of the third quarter, but nine consecutive points from the Broncs on three three-pointers made it a one-point contest. Shyan Mwai answered with a bucket from beyond the arc to cushion Iona's lead and the Gaels were responsible for 12 of the next 14 points after Rider's run. Iona's lead was 11 points, but Rider would end the quarter by chipping into that lead, trailing 46-40.
Iona's lead grew as large as 13 points during the fourth quarter after an Athias three-point play with four minutes to play. The Gaels maintained a double-figure advantage until the final 30 seconds of action, but the Broncs would run short of time and Iona exited with a victory in its home regular-season finale.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Four Gaels combined to score 54 of Iona's 65 points in the victory: Camilion (17), Vezaldenos (15), Athias (14) and Mwai (10).
- Camilion's 17 points was her best output since she scored 23 points in the Gaels' comeback victory at Siena.
- Athias' double-double was her second straight and fourth of the season.
- Mwai did the majority of her damage in the third quarter, scoring nine points on three three-pointers.
- Vezaldenos reached double-digit points for the fifth time in the last six contests.
- The Gaels made a season-high 16 free throws on a season-high 24 attempts. They also turned the ball over a season-low seven times.
- Iona led wire-to-wire, holding an advantage in the scoring column for 39:29 of a possible 40 minutes.
- The Gaels improved to 31-24 in the overall series history with the Broncs. Iona has defeated Rider in four straight contests, sweeping the season-series for the second straight year.
- Iona moves to 9-13 overall and 7-10 in league play with the victory. The Gaels' nine wins match its best mark since the 2016-17 season.
UP NEXT
Iona hits the road for its final three games of the regular season. The Gaels head to Monmouth on Saturday, February 26 before wrapping up at Niagara (March 3) and Canisius (March 5).
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