LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - The Iona University women's basketball team defeated Rider, 68-44, on Thursday evening at Alumni Gymnasium. Iona used a 17-0 run to start the second half and limited Rider to just 15 points in the second half to cruise to a third straight win and first place in the MAAC standings.
THE RUNDOWN
Rider jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, stifling Iona offensively and creating open chances for its scorers. Kate Mager caught fire after a three-minute lull, connecting on four shots from beyond the arc to help the Gaels grab the lead and hold it after the opening 10 minutes.
Back-to-back trifectas from Jessika Schiffer and Makayla Firebaugh put the Broncs back in front to start the second quarter. The two sides continued to trade leads, but it was Iona who controlled the pace over the final three minutes of the half. Baskets from Juana Camilion and Noa Givon gave the Maroon & Gold a five-point cushion, and Iona would take a 33-29 lead into the halftime break.
Iona started the second half on a 7-0 run, featuring a pair of baskets by Ketsia Athias and a trifecta from Camilion that forced Rider to call timeout just 72 seconds into the third quarter. Rider's third-quarter scoring drought lasted nearly five minutes, seeing Iona score 17 straight points to open the half and take a 50-29 lead.
The Maroon & Gold never took the foot off the gas pedal, padding the lead to more than 20 points heading into the fourth quarter. The lead continued to grow over the final 10 minutes of action, seeing the Gaels push put the Broncs behind by as many as 27 points with just a minute to spare. The strong second half effort on both ends propelled Iona to a convincing 68-44 road win over Rider.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Camilion led all scorers with a game-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. She has now scored in double figures 12 times this season and has paced the Gaels in scoring in eight contests.
- Mager finished with 15 points, shooting 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Four of Mager's five three pointers fell in the first quarter. She has knocked down at least four triples in five games this season.
- Athias narrowly missed out on her second consecutive double-double, scoring nine points and grabbing a game-high eight rebounds. She has pulled down at least five boards in nine games this season and 34 times in her Iona career.
- Four other scorers contributed at least five points for Iona: Natalia Otkhmezuri (7), Thoranna Hodge-Carr (6), Isabelle Lipinski (6) and Judith Gomez (5).
THE OPPONENT
- Jessika Schiffer scored 12 points to lead Rider. She knocked down 2-of-7 from three-point range.
- Raphaela Toussaint and Victoria Toomey finished with a team-high seven rebounds.
- Amanda Mobley dished out a game-leading five assists.
TEAM STATS
- Iona forced Rider into 17 turnovers, converting those takeaways into 24 points. The Gaels limited themselves to just nine giveaways, seeing Rider score a mere two points off turnovers.
- The Broncs scored just 15 points in the entire second half; Iona scored more points (17) in a four-minute stretch to begin the third quarter.
- The Maroon & Gold swatted five shots, matching a team-best effort defensively. Athias was responsible for four of Iona's five blocks.
- Iona improved to 6-0 this season when scoring between 60-69 points. The Gaels have scored 60 or more points in nine contests this season and are 8-1 in such contests.
- The Gaels connected on 10 threes, matching a season-high mark.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- With the win, Iona (9-5, 4-1 MAAC) moved into first place in the league standings.
- Camilion now has 1,344 career points donning the Maroon & Gold, 71 points behind a tie for ninth place on the program's all-time scoring leaderboard.
- Athias, scoring at a .564 clip in her Iona career, is on pace to break Linda McKetney's program record for career field goal percentage (55.4%).
- Head coach Billi Chambers earned her 124th career victory overall and 88th in conference play. She improved to 10-11 in her coaching career against Rider.
- Iona is now 33-24 all-time against Rider and 11-14 in road contests against the Broncs. The Gaels have won six straight over the Broncs.
AROUND THE MAAC
- Siena topped Fairfield, 61-46, at UHY Arena.
- Niagara edged Quinnipiac, 67-64, at M&T Bank Arena.
- Canisius outlasted Saint Peter's, 79-74, at the Koessler Athletic Center.
- Marist defended home court, defeating Manhattan 56-43 at McCann Arena.
UP NEXT
Iona enjoys a weekend of rest before returning to action next Thursday, January 12 at against Mount St. Mary's. The Gaels and the Mount are scheduled to tip at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN3 from the Hynes Athletics Center. It will be the first-ever meeting between the Maroon & Gold and the newest addition to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
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)
