NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona University women's basketball team defeated Saint Peter's, 65-37, on Thursday evening at the Hynes Athletics Center. The win was Iona's eighth straight and the Gaels improved to 8-1 in New Rochelle this season.
THE RUNDOWN
The first basket of the game was a Rachel Kuhl layup, giving the Peacocks their only lead of the evening. What followed was a dominant performance by the Gaels, featuring the Gaels leading by more than 20 points for a majority of the contest.
Seven different Gaels saw more than 20 minutes of game action in what turned out to be Iona's eighth consecutive win. Iona posted 20 points in both the first and third quarters, helping distance themselves from the Peacocks. Iona's first-half lead grew as large as 20 points and it would stay that way for the remainder of the contest. The Maroon & Gold outscored Saint Peter's 20-4 in the third period, building a 34-point lead by quarter's end.
Saint Peter's won the fourth quarter in the scoring column, but the Gaels still ended the night with a convincing 28-point victory over the winless Peacocks.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Juana Camilion and Kate Mager paved the way for Iona offensively, pacing the team 12 points scored each. Mager knocked down four shots from beyond the arc, more than Saint Peter's (3-18) totaled as a team.
- Thoranna Hodge-Carr pulled down a team-high six rebounds and chipped in 11 points.
- Ketsia Athias dished out a game-high five assists. She added five points and five rebounds.
- Camilion led Iona with three steals. Three different Gaels registered a blocked shot, including the first of Petra Oborilova's career.
THE OPPONENT
- Jada Leonard scored a game-high 12 points, matching Camilion and Mager. Defensively, Leonard notched a game-high five steals.
- Rachel Kuhl grabbed a game-leading eight rebounds. Jada Williams' two assists were the most for the Peacocks.
TEAM STATS
- Iona allowed a season-low 37 points in the victory, matching its largest victory margin (28 points) of the season. Saint Peter's managed just 15 made field goals, the second lowest mark for an Iona opponent this year (Quinnipiac, 14).
- The Gaels' largest lead of the evening was 37 points with six-plus minutes remaining in regulation. Iona led for 38:05 of the contest, while Saint Peter's held a lead for a mere 11 seconds.
- Iona finished with staggering statistical advantages in assists (20-7), three-point field goals (9-3), points in the paint (32-16) and fastbreak points (16-0).
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- With the win, Iona (14-5 overall, 9-1 MAAC) remains atop the conference standings.
- Camilion now has 1,418 points for her career, moving her into sole possession of No. 9 on the program's all-time scoring leaderboard. She is four points shy of passing Joanne Ryan for eighth-most points all time.
- Athias moved into the top ten on Iona's all-time blocks leaderboard, registering her 73rd career blocked shot donning the Maroon & Gold tonight.
- Head coach Billi Chambers earned her 129th career victory overall and 93rd in conference play.
- Thursday was the 96th all-time meeting between Iona and Saint Peter's. The Peacocks still own a 62-34 advantage in the overall series history.
- Today's victory was Iona's eighth consecutive, its longest win streak since winning 18 straight in the 2013-14 season.
- The Gaels' 9-1 start in MAAC play is the team's best mark since the 2013-14 season when Iona began league play with an unblemished 12-0 mark.
AROUND THE MAAC
- Siena dominated Rider, 94-63, at the UHY Center.
- Quinnipiac defeated Manhattan, 52-38, at Draddy Gymnasium.
- Fairfield narrowly edged Mount St. Mary's, 54-53, at Leo D. Mahoney Arena.
UP NEXT
Iona hosts Manhattan at the Hynes Athletics Center on Saturday, January 28. The Gaels and the Jaspers tip at 1:00 p.m. in New Rochelle.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow Iona women's basketball and Iona Athletics on our social media platforms.
IonaGaels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
Iona Women's Basketball: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
