NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona University women's basketball team defeated Canisius, 67-43, on Saturday afternoon at the Hynes Center. The Gaels are now the outright MAAC Regular Season Champions for the first time in program history.
THE RUNDOWN
Iona opened up a 16-0 lead to begin play, never looking back and taking it to the Griffs to ensure that there would be no share of a MAAC Regular Season Championship in 2023. Canisius was held without a point for the opening 7:33 and without a field goal for 8:27. The Gaels carried a 21-5 lead into the second quarter, posting 20-plus points in the opening frame for the 12th time this season.
Canisius managed to trim its deficit to as little as seven points and entered the halftime break trailing the Gaels by nine points. Iona pushed its lead to 24 points, 49-25, after scoring 20 of the first 27 second-half points. The Griffs trailed by less than 20 points for just over a minute in the fourth before the Maroon & Gold eventually closed out a 24-point victory in its penultimate regular season home game.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Ketsia Athias notched her fourth consecutive double-double, posting game-highs with 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Defensively, Athias added two blocked shots and a steal.
- Natalia Otkhmezuri was Iona's only other scorer in double figures, chipping in 11 points with three makes from beyond the arc. It was her sixth double-digit scoring effort of the season and her first since January 19 versus Rider.
THE OPPONENT
- Gianna Hernandez-Boulden paced Canisius in scoring, amassing a team-high 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting. She added seven rebounds and two steals.
- Sisi Eleko, the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week, posted an 11-point, 12-rebound double double.
TEAM STATS
- Iona led wire-to-wire in the contest, opening up a 16-0 lead to open the contest and holding the Griffs without a field goal made for more than eight minutes to begin play.
- The Gaels improved to 14-0 when scoring between 60 and 69 points and 18-1 overall when scoring at least 60 points this season.
- Iona shot above 50 percent (51.9%) for the 11th time this season, improving to 10-1 when shooting better than 50 percent. The Gaels also limited the Griffs to a 28.8 percent mark overall and 47 total points, remaining undefeated (13-0) when opponents shoot under 35 percent and improving to 8-1 when opponents score less than 50 points.
- The Gaels connected on 10 three-pointers, the sixth time this season the team has hit on double-digit shots from three-point range. The Griffs shot just 2-of-16 from deep and missed their first seven attempts before Garrelts found the bottom of the basket in the third quarter.
- Canisius narrowly won the rebounding battle (36-35), pulling down 15 offensive rebounds and posting nine second-chance points.
- The Maroon & Gold dished out 24 assists, the sixth time this season that Iona has accrued 20 or more assists in a contest.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- With the win, Iona (22-5 overall, 17-1 MAAC) clinched the 2023 MAAC Regular Season Championship. It is the first outright MAAC Regular Season Championship for the Gaels and the second overall in program history.
- The Gaels improved to 12-1 at the Hynes Center this season, its most home wins since winning 13 in New Rochelle in the 2013-14 season. Iona is a perfect 9-0 at home against MAAC opponents and is vying for an undefeated mark in league play at home for the first time in program history.
- Camilion now has 1,553 points for her career, remaining in sole possession of No. 6 on the program's all-time scoring leaderboard. She is 6 points shy of passing Megan Cobb for fifth-most points all-time in Iona women's basketball history.
- Head coach Billi Chambers earned her 137th career victory overall and 101st in conference play. Chambers owns the most MAAC wins in program history and is 6 wins shy of passing Sandie Capifali for the second-most wins in program history.
- Iona's starting five of Athias, Camilion, Gomez, Hodge-Carr and Mager made their 26th overall and 18th consecutive appearance together this season.
- Today was the 68th overall meeting between Iona and Canisius. Iona has now won 13 of the last 16 meetings in New Rochelle and 23 of the last 26 overall. Iona increased its lead in the overall series history to 40-28.
- Tonight's victory was Iona's 16th consecutive, its longest win streak since winning 18 straight in the 2013-14 season.
- The Gaels' 17-1 start in MAAC play matches the program's best start ever in MAAC play (2013-14).
AROUND THE MAAC
- Mount St. Mary's lost to Manhattan, 52-45, at Knott Arena.
- Niagara took care of Marist, 74-56, at McCann Arena.
- Siena hosts Quinnipiac at 7:00 p.m. tonight from the UHY Center.
UP NEXT
Iona hosts Marist on Thursday, March 2 at 4:30 p.m. in its final home game of the regular season.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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