Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Events

View Schedule  
  Go Back

Iona University Athletics

Judith Gomez vs. Niagara
Will Quincy - Iona Athletics
67
Winner Niagara Niag 4-6,1-0 MAAC
48
Iona Iona 5-4,0-1 MAAC
Winner
Niagara Niag
4-6,1-0 MAAC
67
Final
48
Iona Iona
5-4,0-1 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Niagara Niag 16 17 19 15 67
Iona Iona 11 8 14 15 48

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Brian Duane / Assistant AD / Athletic Communications

Iona WBB Falls in MAAC Opener to Niagara, 67-48

NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona University women's basketball team fell to Niagara, 67-48 on Saturday afternoon in the opening contest of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play. The Gaels four-game winning streak was snapped by the preseason MAAC favorite, Purple Eagles at the Hynes Center moving the season record to 5-4 overall and 0-1 in league play. 

Junior Judith Gomez recorded the first double-double of her career with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Gaels. Freshman Mya Zaccagnini finished with a career-high eight points. junior Ella Fajardo added eight points and graduate student Sierra DeAngelo registered a game-high 11 rebounds to go with six points.

THE RUNDOWN

A pair of three-pointers by both teams started the scoring on Saturday afternoon as Gomez connected on the trey with 8:54 remaining in the first. Niagara used a 5-0 run in the next minute to claim the lead, 8-3. Gomez broke the run with a layup, but the Purple Eagles quickly found success on the press. Niagara used a 6-2 favor to gain a 14-7 lead with 3:32 to go. Iona closed the first quarter with a 4-2 advantage on baskets by Gomez and sophomore Noa Givon to put cut the deficit to five, 16-11 after the opening period.
 
Gomez continued her strong start with another layup to kick off the second quarter to put the score at 16-13. The Purple Eagles countered with a 12-0 run over the next four minutes to build a 28-13 lead with 3:48 to go in the period. Niagara turned up the intensity on defense forcing six Iona turnovers during that stretch. Both teams traded baskets down the stretch of the first half with Niagara taking a 33-19 lead into halftime.
 
Iona opened the third quarter on a 5-3 stretch as Fajardo recorded a layup and graduate student Natalia Otkhmezuri picked up a three-pointer.  The Purple Eagles continued to hold serve over the final 7:50 of the quarter with a 16-9 advantage on scoring and forcing eight Iona turnovers to take a 52-33 lead. Zaccagnini led the Gaels with eight points in the third quarter.
 
Niagara built its largest lead of the the game with a 4-0 start to the fourth quarter to go up, 56-33 with 5:09 to go in the game. Iona closed out the final five minutes of action, outscoring the Purple Eagles 15-11, but the Purple Eagles walked away with the wire-to-wire, 67-48 victory.

IONA PERFORMERS

  • The Gaels had 10 different scorers record a point against the Purple Eagles.
  • Gomez recorded the first double-double of her career with 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting and a career-high 10 rebounds.
  • Zaccagnini scored a career-high eight points, with a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.
  • Fajardo added eight points and finished with a team-high two steals.
  • DeAngelo posted a game-high 11 rebounds to go with six points and a team-high three assists.

THE OPPONENT

  • Amelia Strong recorded a team-high 11 points as Niagara had 10 scorers contribute.
  • Angel Parker posted an all-around game with 10 assists, eight points and six rebounds.
  • Preseason MAAC Player of the Year, Aaliyah Parker posted eight points and game-high four steals.

TEAM STATS

  • Niagara shot 38.4% from the field while Iona shot 31.1%. Both teams weren't effective from distance as Iona shot 25% from three to Niagara's 23.5%.
  • The Gaels recorded a season-high 45 rebounds while holding the Purple Eagles to 39 rebounds.
  • The 33 Iona turnovers was a new season high, leading Niagara to capitalize with 31 points off turnovers.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • The double-double effort by Gomez was the second of the season for Iona. DeAngelo recorded the first on November 15 with 30 points and 13 rebounds at Bethune-Cookman. 
  • With Niagara's win the all-time series between both teams is now tied at 35-35. The Gaels fall to 18-16 all-time against the Purple Eagles in New Rochelle.
  • Iona is now 5-5 in its last 10 MAAC opening contests.

UP NEXT

The Gaels close out the 2023 calendar year and non-conference play on Thursday, December 21 against Stony Brook at the Hynes Center. Tip-off is slated for 1:00 p.m in part of a doubleheader with the men's team who tips-off at 7:00 p.m. against Colgate.
Print Friendly Version