NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona University women's basketball team defeated Manhattan, 63-49, on Saturday afternoon at the Hynes Athletics Center.
Juana Camilion posted a game-high 19 points, leading Iona to its ninth consecutive win.
THE RUNDOWN
Iona jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on Saturday, holding Manhattan without a point for the opening two-plus minutes and without a field goal until the 3:36 mark of the first quarter. Iona had built a 12-2 advantage before Christina Katsamouri scored on back-to-back possessions to make it a six-point game. Narie Dodson registered the final points of the period with 2:20 to play, cutting what was a 10-point deficit to four points entering the second quarter.
Manhattan managed to even the score at 14 apiece on a Dee Dee Davis layup with 6:50 to play, but Iona would end the half on a 15-5 run that spanned the final six-plus minutes of the half. The icing on the cake for the Maroon & Gold was that a Juana Camilion jumper originally ruled a two-pointer was overturned and confirmed as a trifecta that pushed the score to 30-19 while the two teams trotted towards their respective locker rooms.
The Gaels ripped off 10 unanswered points to begin the second half, extending their lead to 21 points, the largest of the afternoon. The Jaspers were again cold to start a quarter, reminiscent of the first frame, needing nearly five minutes before scoring their first point of the period.
Iona led by double-digits the entire rest of the way, seeing Manhattan pull within just 10 points at one point with 42 seconds remaining. Solid free throw shooting (21-26 overall and 8-11 in the fourth quarter) allowed Iona to walk away with its ninth straight victory and remain perfect at the Hynes Athletics Center in conference play.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Juana Camilion finished 9-of-10 from the free throw line, a new career high for makes from the charity stripe. Her 19 points were a game high and she also set a new career high with six blocked shots.
- Thoranna Hodge-Carr chipped in 12 points and added six rebounds and six assists. The Gaels improved to 5-0 this season when Hodge-Carr scores in double figures.
- Noa Givon contributed eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, matching season bests in points and field goals made.
- Judith Gomez finished with a game leading three steals defensively.
THE OPPONENT
- Brazil Harvey-Carr and Narrie Dodson each scored a team-high nine points for the Jaspers. The two combined to shoot 7-of-17 from the floor and Harvey-Carr was responsible for all three of Manhattan's makes from beyond the arc.
- Dee Dee Davis was held to eight points, matching her third-lowest scoring output this season and marking just the sixth time this season she scored less than 10 points.
- Dodson corralled a game-leading 10 rebounds, five on the defensive glass and five on the offensive end. She also finished with a team-high three thefts.
- Jada Blagrove swatted two shots, the most by a Jasper.
TEAM STATS
- The Gaels improved to 10-0 this season when scoring between 60 and 69 points and 6-1 when allowing less than 50 points.
- Manhattan shot 16-of-67 (23.9%) from the field, a season-low field goal percentage for an Iona opponent.
- Iona generated 21 points from the free throw line, setting new season highs in free throws made (21) and free throws attempted (26).
- Manhattan started the contest 0-for-7 from three-point range. The Jaspers' first three fell with less than four minutes to play in the third quarter, courtesy of Brazil Harvey-Carr. The Jaspers shot just 3-of-15 from long range for the game.
- The Maroon & Gold connected on just four three-pointers, matching a season-low total from downtown in a win.
- The Jaspers' 47 rebounds were the most by an Iona opponent this season. Manhattan pulled down 24 offensive rebounds, another season-high mark by an Iona opponent.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- With the win, Iona (15-5 overall, 10-1 MAAC) remains atop the conference standings.
- Camilion now has 1,437 points for her career, moving her into sole possession of No. 8 on the program's all-time scoring leaderboard. She is five points shy of passing Celeste Grieg for seventh-most points all time.
- Head coach Billi Chambers earned her 130th career victory overall and 94th in conference play.
- Saturday was the 88th all-time meeting between Iona and Manhattan. The Gaels' victory was its first over the Jaspers since 2017 and the first at home since December 20, 2016. Manhattan still owns a 57-32 advantage in the overall series history.
- Today's victory was Iona's ninth consecutive, its longest win streak since winning 18 straight in the 2013-14 season.
- The Gaels' 10-1 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
- Fairfield topped Canisius, 65-55, at Leo D. Mahoney Arena.
- Mount St. Mary's fell to Niagara, 73-54, at Knott Arena.
- Quinnipiac edged Siena, 68-63, at M&T Bank Arena.
- Marist hosts Saint Peter's at 7:00 p.m. tonight at McCann Arena.
UP NEXT
Iona begins its Western New York road trip, traveling to face Niagara (February 2) and Canisius (February 4).
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